Labour must do better or PM Farage could put troops on streets like his ally Trump
The threat from the far right in the UK is real and Labour needs to come up with a compelling narrative about a different, more hopeful future for this country
Immigration is not the biggest challenge facing Britain today, certainly not in Scotland. But it is the most corrosive and has always had the potential to become a convenient hook on which to hang deep-seated social, economic and political grievances, find convenient but false explanations of our decline in the modern era and, sadly, reveal elements of racism.
The fuelling of violence in British politics, the scapegoating of migrants, the thugs burning hotels and smashing police vehicles, and flag-waving ultra-nationalists occupying the streets are symptoms of the biggest threat to social and political stability this country has faced in the post-war era: the rise of the hard and far right. Reform leader Nigel Farage and Robert Jenrick and his fellow travellers in a disintegrating Conservative party are merely adding fuel to the flames.
Voters are volatile and anxious, communities are worried, confused, angry and unsure of their place in a dramatically changing Britain. They are seeking assurances that they matter and are not merely walk-on parts in elections. The UK Government and politics in general must wake up to the concerns of this silent majority.
Anger, fear and hate
What does it mean to be British today? The UK needs a new national story or collection of stories, a unifying vision of a different tomorrow. People need a sense that they matter and reasons why they shouldn’t be consumed by resurgent nationalism.
The progress of populism, authoritarianism, racism and ultra-nationalism in the US and Europe must be a wake-up call to those in Britain who still embrace humanity, empathy, compassion and morality.
In contrast, the hard-right embrace anger, fear, and hate, with moderation and consensus viewed as weakness, and extremism and intolerance as strength. There is a need to acknowledge that the Conservative hard-right and Reform are embracing the worst excesses of politics in a bitterly divided and disunited US. Is this where we are heading?
As he unveiled plans for mass deportations, in his usual plausible manner, Farage asked Prime Minister Keir Starmer whether he was on the side of international courts or the British people. The more intelligent question is “what kind of country do we want to live in?”
Amidst the current turmoil in British politics, answering this question is key to arguing for a vision for the future which connects with people, writes a new and different narrative for the UK of belonging and inclusion, and helps people feel valued as citizens. We need a statement of intent about the future that makes people feel they are insiders and are being listened to.
Labour’s messaging has failed
The real story of migration seems to have been cancelled. Inward migration has played a significant role in building post-war Britain. Our era of global dominance when Britain ruled the waves left us with a powerful legacy – good people coming to this country. The world has changed and so have the migrants but stirring up hatred against those from African or Middle Eastern countries now coming to our country is very un-British.
Finding government difficult, clearly underestimating the deep and destructive nature of the Tory legacy they inherited, and apparently unaware of the deluge of criticism building up, Labour has failed in its messaging. More effective governance must now be focused on illegal migration, especially the ‘boat people’.
Tackling this problem requires more practical steps nationally and at local level. Using hotels makes no sense but neither does the use of squalid camps on old military bases or tents in our streets, as advocated by some.
The government must not surrender to the hysteria from the right or adopt their ideas. There is no need for this government to abandon Britain’s proud post-war achievements or turn its back on Labour’s historic political creed.
Winston Churchill helped set up the Council of Europe. Britain has promoted an international order in which the United Nations, the UN High Commissioner for Refugees, the Refugee Council, the European Convention of Human Rights and other international treaties constituted the bedrock of civilised internationalism.
A cheap patriot who bad-mouths Britain
There is, however, a need to listen to those who have real concerns in local communities. But with the electorate in an exceptionally febrile mood, there must be a merciless exposé of what shapes Farage’s mind and instincts. Faced with the question of what kind of country he wants, we already know many of his answers.
Formerly head of UKIP and the Brexit party, he was partly responsible for the UK’s worst act of insanity, leaving the European Union, which was a painful and dishonest betrayal of the UK. An admirer of Donald Trump and his policies, Farage seems to be in the White House more than in parliament or his Clacton constituency. He’s also made admiring comments about Vladimir Putin.
Farage recently compared Starmer unfavourably to Kim Jong Un, a brutal dictator. A fan of mass deportations, he is lukewarm on Ukraine, a cheap patriot willing to bad-mouth Britain in the US Congress and keen to join this growing club of authoritarian strong men.
He remains dangerous mainly because of an unforgiving, angry and insecure electorate and, in particular, the use of immigration as a cypher for all the ills of the UK. Will Farage use British soldiers to police the streets of London, Liverpool or Glasgow as Trump has done in Washington? Immigration is also Trump’s signature issue.
Labour must raise its game, offer a series of unifying political themes that, in tough times, can bring the country together, and maintain a consistent political creed without which people will remain confused and mistrustful of what Labour stands for and what this government can deliver.
In normal times, Reform would just be another populist outfit led by a charismatic leader with an agenda made in America. The threat from the far right in Britain is, however, real. Labour has an identity challenge and must act quickly to avoid “losing the room”.
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