Now or never: How should Labour actually combat the rise of Reform?

Although Keir Starmer’s Labour Party has had an overwhelming parliamentary majority for just over a year now, it seems to have lost its real influence over British politics to the steadily growing wave of red and white flags that is Nigel Farage’s Reform Party. Since then, Labour has been desperately limping behind Reform’s current 10-point lead, vowing to be tougher on immigration and promising to “take back control” of our country’s borders. They’ve also been employing racist dog whistles as part of their pathetically transparent attempt to sway new right-wing voters.

However, at the most recent annual Labour conference, Starmer seemed to adopt a new strategy. When asked about Reform’s proposed plans to abolish indefinite leave to remain (ILR) and force migrants to reapply for new visas under stricter guidelines, he deemed the policy “racist and immoral”, claiming it would rip communities and the country apart. Maybe the party finally heard the cries of many Brits begging Starmer to defend the most vulnerable groups in our country and shine some kind of light at the end of what was seemingly a hopeless tunnel of unchecked hate and division.

Perhaps the most elusive and difficult task for the Labour Party will be finding a way to win back younger voters, the majority of whom are currently polling in a somewhat scattered pattern

However, this moment of hope might be short-lived. At the very same conference, Labour announced it still plans to double the time it takes to gain ILR, from five years to ten, as well as introduce a Digital ID Card scheme aimed at reducing people’s grievances over immigrants or asylum seekers receiving disproportionate benefits (an assumption that has long been proven false). It’s clear that Labour has hardly put its days of beating the dead anti-immigrant horse behind them, only furthering its reputation as hollow and lacking a true political platform.

And so, the question remains, if Labour want to win back the voters it’s lost to the right-wing, how can it do so? As has been said time and time again, those who want to vote for Reform are never going to settle for Reform-lite. And since Labour seems somewhat ready to accept that, they no longer need to restrain themselves. Before, there was a cloud of trepidation over labels such as ‘racism’, ‘Islamophobia’, or even ‘far-right’, as the Reform voter base has long resented such accusations. Now that Starmer seems ready to cut his losses, it might be best to start by calling a spade a spade.

Labour are desperately attempting to cling to its brand as the party of the working people, but without progressive policies to match, it all feels infuriatingly hollow

Perhaps the most elusive and difficult task for the Labour Party will be finding a way to win back younger voters, the majority of whom are currently polling in a somewhat scattered pattern, instead of aligning with the two traditionally opposing parties, Labour or Conservative. Much of Labour’s general election campaign was focused on presenting Starmer as a steadfast and dependable figure of calmness and trust, in comparison to the Tories’ floundering panic. However, for much of the younger voter base, which is set to increase by the next election now that 16-year-olds will be given the vote, Farage, Tommy Robinson, and other Reform-adjacent right-wing figures have been unavoidable on youth-dominated platforms such as TikTok or X, thanks to their commitment to emotive, divisive social media marketing. Sure, no one’s going to be able to turn Keir Starmer into a funny, charismatic figure any time soon, but the Labour Party have some of the youngest MPs and councillors on record. Why not use that to its advantage in its marketing? It’s something they’ve never tried before.

The elephant in the room, blocking the door to Labour’s re-election in 2029, is, of course, what we’ve already discussed – Starmer’s Labour is confusing, watered down, all talk and no action, at a time when the British public is craving bold, direct action more than ever. The reason Reform has been able to capture the audience it has is a direct result of working people feeling ignored and neglected by the very politicians elected to take care of them. In so many ways, Labour has let them down. Essential workers’ wages have stagnated while prices have risen by 38% since 2021 (and are forecast to keep rising), and household energy bills are now 44% higher than they were during winter 2021. Labour is still desperately clinging to its identity as the party of the working class, with David Lammy begging voters to have faith that progressive values will eventually win the day, but without progressive policies to match, it all feels infuriatingly hollow.

It’s never been more important for Labour to stick to their words now, something they’ve historically been unable to do

The best, and seemingly only solution, therefore, is simply for Labour to do something, anything, and it’s now or never. Much of the restless tension surrounding Reform could be defused quickly and quietly if Labour made the bold and necessary choice to invest seriously in deprived communities, which have been searching for someone to blame for over a decade and a half of austerity and abandonment. At the conference, glimmers of hope started to shine, with the promise to bring back targeted maintenance grants for university students and a new “levelling-up” style scheme aimed at funnelling money back into deprived towns.

It’s never been more important for Labour to stick to their words now, something they’ve historically been unable to do. Small changes and empty promises aren’t enough when the livelihoods and human rights of some of the most vulnerable people in the country are on the line. A vague call for “unity”, although promising, will not scrub away the nasty stain of Britain’s already shameful legacy when it comes to the treatment of those who don’t look like “us.” More needs to be done to protect already marginalised communities from becoming collateral damage in a brutal, cruel political landscape. While all may seem hopeless, the message to progressives everywhere should be obvious – don’t panic, get organised.