UK faces ‘battle for the soul’ of the country, says Starmer amid Reform threat

Britain faces a “battle for the soul” of the country, Sir Keir Starmer has warned as he pledged a fightback against the threat of Reform UK at a major global summit in London.

In a rallying cry to progressives, the Prime Minister said centre-left leaders must stop the “politics of predatory grievance” from “preying on the problems of working people”.

The intervention comes amid concerns within Labour that the Government has failed to be passionate enough in its attacks against Nigel Farage’s insurgent right-wing party.

Speaking alongside counterparts from Canada, Iceland and Australia at the Global Progress Action summit on Friday, Sir Keir criticised the “poisonous belief” that a “violent struggle” for the nation is coming.

He again condemned scenes earlier this month at the Unite the Kingdom rally organised by far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, real name Stephen Yaxley Lennon, which Sir Keir said sent “shivers” through many communities.

He said the era of two-party politics dominated by Labour and the Tories is changing, with the ruling party now up against “a very different” challenge from Reform.

“The UK (is) now at a crossroads, we have got a right-wing proposition that we’ve not had in this country before,” he said.

Setting the tone for Labour’s annual conference this weekend, he said the next election would be an “open fight” between the ruling party and Reform – an argument he will expand on in his leaders’ speech in Liverpool.

“That march that we had here two weeks ago in London, in Whitehall – that sent shivers through the spines of many of our communities well away from London, not just those in the immediate vicinity,” he said.

“So there’s a battle for the soul of this country now as to what sort of country do we want to be.

“Because that toxic divide, that decline with Reform is built on a sense of grievance, grievance politics, identifying something real for sure, but relying on the problem existing in order for their politics to persist.”

The Prime Minister said allies must directly confront the “lies” being told about their countries as he argued election results in nations like Canada and Britain dispel the claim that centre-left politics is “dying out”.

In a keynote speech, Sir Keir said a “poison” is threatening to take hold in the UK, driven by a strategy to draw dividing lines “between elites and the people”.

He said: “You don’t have to be a great historian to know where that kind of poison ends up, and you could just feel it in a language that is naked in its attempt to intimidate.

“The way I see it, this is the defining political choice of our times – a politics of predatory grievance, preying on the problems of working people, and using that infrastructure of division, against the politics of patriotic renewal, rooted in communities, building up (a) country brick, by brick, by brick, from the bottom up.”

But Sir Keir urged progressives “to look ourselves in the mirror” and be clear-eyed about the problems facing their countries, and not “shy away from people’s concerns” – a caveat that was quickly seized on by left-wing opponents.

Turning to immigration, he said: “For too many years, it’s been too easy for people to come here, slip into the shadow economy and remain here illegally, because, frankly, we have been squeamish about saying things that are clearly true.

“It’s not compassionate left-wing politics to rely on labour that exploits foreign workers and undercuts fair wages.

“I don’t accept that argument that somehow our politics is dying out, but I do accept that it is now time for social democrats to confront directly some of the challenges and some of the lies, frankly, that have taken root in our societies.

“Because we don’t just hear these stories about our politics. We also hear stories about our own countries, our communities, our cities, that simply do not match the reality that we see around us.”

The Green Party said immigration was being used as a distraction from other issues facing the country, with leader Zack Polanski saying: “Keir Starmer today said this country has been too ‘squeamish’ about talking about immigration.

“Let’s call that for what it is: bullshit. The truth is, politicians have talked about little else for decades and almost always in the most toxic, dehumanising way possible.

“These comments are lapped up and regurgitated on a near-daily basis as talking points without any real balance.”

He added: “That phrase ‘stop the boats’ is all we hear. Well, today I am saying ‘stop the bullshit’.”

Progressives are facing “an era of huge challenge”, the Prime Minister conceded, but should “take heart” from election results which undermine the suggestion that their politics is in decline.

He cited other leaders including Spanish premier Pedro Sanchez and Canadian prime minister Mark Carney, adding: “I’d say centre-left parties are having quite a year so far.”

It comes after a new mega-poll by YouGov suggested a Reform UK government would be a near-certainty if a general election was called tomorrow.

The pollster’s second MRP model since the 2024 election, which is based on responses from 13,000 voters, projects Reform UK would win 311 seats, just 15 short of a majority.

YouGov added its seat projections come with uncertainty intervals and outcome probability estimates which form a key part of its overall picture of the electoral landscape.

A Reform UK spokesman said: “For decades the British people have been betrayed by both Labour and the Conservatives. People have voted election after election for lower taxes and controlled immigration, instead both party’s have done the opposite.

“The public are now waking up to the fact Starmer is just continuing the Tory legacy of high taxes and mass immigration.”

Earlier, Sir Keir met Mr Carney for a bilateral meeting on the sidelines of the summit, where his Canadian counterpart offered him a strong show of support amid domestic speculation about the future of his leadership.

It comes after Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham made a series of headline-grabbing interventions in national politics which have fuelled speculation he could be pitching for a future bid to unseat the Prime Minister.

Mr Carney highlighted security co-operation between the UK and Canada, before adding: “I also want to salute your leadership, Keir.

“In Ukraine, in the coalition of the willing, in the Middle East, more broadly in this next phase of multilaterals.”