Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been warned that Reform UK could “influence the next election” if he continues to decline in popularity amongst British voters.
Labour is facing pressure from the party, led by Nigel Farage, as they have begun setting up 120 local branches to focus on Labour-held seats, mainly located in south Wales and the north of England.
Speaking to The Times, one Labour MP warned that Reform is “dangerous” if the current Government doesn’t take them head-on.
They claimed: “I’m not convinced we got it right in the General Election. I think there was this attitude that they’re taking more votes off the Tories than they are Labour, so we shouldn’t challenge them.
A Labour MP has urged Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer to stand up to ‘dangerous’ Reform UK
PA
“We were willing to stay quiet while the Tories morphed into Reform, but we can’t shy away in the future.”
Speaking to GB News, former Labour MP Stephen Pound also warned that the party could be pressured by Reform’s “heavy influence” over the next five years, impacting the next election.
Pound explained: “I think one of the one of the great unknowns or uncommented on factors in the last election was the number of Labour seats at which Reform came second.
“I think the Labour victory was was brilliant – I’m obviously delighted as a Labour man, but it was actually built on sand.”
Delivering his verdict on the rise of Reform in Parliament, Pound stated: “The reality is that we’re looking over our shoulders to Reform. And this is not 1997.
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“There is not that national feeling of euphoria that’s sweeping the nation at the moment. We’ve got some very, very serious questions to ask.”
When asked by host Lee Anderson what he believes Reform UK’s chances are of winning the next election, Pound was doubtful, adding: “I don’t think Reform can win the next election, but I think Reform can influence the next election out of all proportion.”
Throwing the same question to political commentator Russell Quirk, he offered staunch support for Reform and claimed that Farage could secure an election victory in five years’ time.
Quirk told GB News: “I think they can – nine, ten weeks in, and the trajectory is already saying that Keir Starmer is an extremely unpopular individual.
Stephen Pound warned that Labour are ‘looking over their shoulder’ at Reform UK
GB News
“He’ll probably end up being the most unpopular Prime Minister in our history since Liz Truss.”
Predicting how the Conservatives will fare over the next five years after their historic election loss, Quirk added: “I think the Conservatives will be all at sea.
“They will be a mishmash of a mess over the next four or five years, and I think the vacuum needs to be filled, and I think it will probably be filled by Reform.”
