Keir Starmer told members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) that they have a ‘moral responsibility’ to beat Nigel Farage’s Reform – which he said is now Labour’s main rival for power
Keir Starmer has launched a blistering attack on Nigel Farage – telling Labour MPs he “doesn’t have a patriotic bone in his body”.
The PM went on to tell backbenchers they have a “moral responsibility” to beat him. In a speech to the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP) he said Reform are now his party’s main rivals for power and vowed: “We will take the fight to him.”
In a spiky assessment of Mr Farage’s record, he branded him a “state-slashing, NHS-privatising, Putin apologist without a single patriotic bone in his body”. The PM also referred to a notorious video which Mr Farage posted saying car giant Jaguar “deserve” to go bust because he didn’t like an advert for the firm.
He said: “We have a moral responsibility to make sure Farage never wins. We have to be clear that every opportunity he has had in this Parliament to back working people he’s voted against. Telling the workers at Jaguar Land Rover they deserve to go bust.”
And he pointed to successes including Jaguar Land Rover (JLR) being protected by a US trade deal, rising wages, NHS waiting lists falling and school breakfast clubs.
READ MORE: UK-EU deal explained – e-gates, passports, fishing and what it really means for migration numbers
He went on: “Nigel Farage stands for absolutely none of this. But that is what working people want. A Labour Government on their side.”
Mr Starmer has ramped up his rhetoric on the Reform leader in recent weeks after a strong showing for the right-wing party in this month’s local elections. The EU-reset deal – which aims to tackle some of the damaging aspects of Boris Johnson’s botched Brexit agreement – will set up another clash between the leaders.
The PM said the landmark agreement is a “win-win” and said it gives the UK “unprecedented” access to EU markets. But Mr Farage branded it a “surrender”, even before the details were announced.
Mr Starmer will likely keep referring back to a video the Reform leader posted in November last year voicing his displeasure over a Jaguar rebranding. Mr Farage said at the time: “I predict that Jaguar will now go bust. And you know what? They deserve to.”
He was riled when the company changed its logo and ran an advert that he did not like. The company was rocked in April when US President Donald Trump imposed a 25% tariff on car imports, putting thousands of UK jobs at risk.
Earlier this month the White House dropped this levy on British cars in a major victory for the Government.
But the PM did not have it all his own way when he addressed members of the Parliamentary Labour Party (PLP). He was confronted by veteran Labour MP Diane Abbott about his heavily-criticised “island of strangers” comment. He was warned that “can’t out-Reform Reform.”