Labour’s conference in Liverpool was supposed to be a moment of confidence: a governing party showing it has answers on education, the NHS, and economic renewal. But one shadow hung over the hall – not from the Conservatives, but from Nigel Farage’s Reform UK.
Starmer knows Reform is siphoning off disillusioned voters, and his response reveals the impossible bind he is in. In his speech he branded Farage a man who “doesn’t believe in Britain”. Yet, in a Sky News interview, while he called Reform’s proposal to abolish indefinite leave to remain “racist”, he avoided describing Farage himself – or his supporters – as racist. The distinction was deliberate: attack the policy, not the people.
"The danger is not only that Labour looks like it is chasing Reform voters; it is that in doing so, it alienates its own base."
This is Labour’s new tightrope. On immigration, the home secretary Shabana Mahmood has already pledged stricter rules for permanent settlement. Starmer conceded that Labour had once placed too much faith in globalisation and hinted that difficult decisions were coming. The party faithful heard the subtext: Labour is edging closer to Reform’s territory, even as it claims to be defending liberal values.
It is a strategy rooted in electoral fear. A recent YouGov poll suggested Reform could secure a hung parliament, with Farage within striking distance of No 10. But how far should Labour go to prevent that outcome? And at what cost?
The danger is not only that Labour looks like it is chasing Reform voters; it is that in doing so, it alienates its own base. Voters who have stuck with Labour through years of turmoil now risk feeling politically homeless, watching their party trim its sails to match a populist gale.
Starmer may believe he can square the circle – hold on to traditional Labour voters while luring back those flirting with Reform. But politics rarely works that neatly. Pursue both too hard, and you risk ending up with neither.
For Labour, the real test isn’t whether it can neutralise Nigel Farage. It’s whether it can set out a vision of Britain that doesn’t rely on borrowing his terms of debate. Because if Starmer continues to fight Reform on its terrain, he might find he wins the argument – and loses the party.