Education Secretary Bridget Phillipson, who is running to deputy Labour leader, says the party must be more assertive over Nigel Farage’s ‘dangerous and divisive’ messages
Labour needs to be “much more front footed” as voters get more alarmed by Nigel Farage’s “extreme” views, a deputy leadership contender said.
Bridget Phillipson told The Mirror the party must be more assertive as Reform spreads “dangerous and divisive” messages. The Education Secretary said Labour should show pride in its values and take the fight to Mr Farage.
She accused the Reform leader of taking an “offensive” tone on people who made Britain their home, making “ignorant” comments about children with special educational needs and spreading “dangerous” messages on medicine.
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Ms Phillipson said she is confident Labour can turn things around after an alarming megapoll suggested Mr Farage is on track for No10. She said: “The way that they’re seeking to divide our country is dangerous and divisive.
“We have to be proud of being the party that is true to the values of the British people who I think are and will become increasingly alarmed by the extreme nature of some of what Nigel Farage and Reform are talking about.
“I mean, only this week we saw Nigel Farage refuse to reassure pregnant women (about the safety of paracetamol), which I think is as dangerous.”
Yesterday(FRI) polling from YouGov suggested Reform could win 311 seats if an election was held now, with Labour down to just 144. Ms Phillipson said Labour can turn it around – but only by being more forceful.
She said: “I am convinced that we can and will turn this around. In order to do that, we have to take the fight to Reform and do it on our own terms.
“We’ve got to go at it we can’t sit back and watch while Reform seek to divide our country and say such offensive things about people who have made our country our home. They’re our neighbors, and we’ve got to be much more front footed in tackling Reform.”
In April Mr Farage claimed children with special educational needs are “overdiagnosed”, and this month deputy Richard Tice said it was “hijacked by parents who are abusing the system”. The Education Secretary said: “It’s deeply insulting to parents who are often having to really struggle to get the help they need.”
And she criticised Mr Farage’s tone on migration. Earlier this week he announced plans to remove indefinite leave to remain – throwing families who settled in the UK into turmoil.
Ms Phillipson said: “We do have to take on Farage, because I believe that labor’s values of the values of the British people that we are very tolerant, compassionate, outward looking country that has always had a proud history of, providing sanctuary to those flee persecution.
“But it’s what the British people also expects is that we have a system that is fair, that is proportionate. We have a government that controls our borders and we’re the only party that believes in both – that you can have a fair and effective system, but also one that is compassionate and understands that the diversity of our country is one of its greatest strengths.”
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