Labour needs complete reset' to defeat Reform UK threat, says strategist

"Keir Starmer does not have enough of a plan to defeat the existential threat that populism poses to UK democracy and should undertake a fundamental reset, New Labour's former advertising strategist Sir Chris Powell has warned. Powell, who is the brother of Jonathan Powell, Starmer's national security adviser, warned that there were just three years to stop the new and terrifying threat of populists, suggesting Reform UK could represent a danger to democracy and national institutions."

"Here in the UK, where is the urgently needed counter plan on a huge scale, to thwart and head off such an existential threat? It is simply not in place, nor does it appear to be even at the planning stage. We are at a very dangerous moment. We simply cannot afford to allow Reform UK to have a free run, and become established and entrenched as a credible potential government in the minds of disenchanted voters."

"The prime minister will attempt a new year push on reducing the cost of living through cuts to energy bills, interest rates and ending the two-child cap, saying that voters would start to see their lives improve in 2026. With Farage and Reform dominant on social media, No 10 also has plans to overhaul its communications strategy to reach more voters in new ways, such as through influencers and viral videos on channels including TikTok."

Sir Chris Powell warned that Keir Starmer lacks a sufficient plan to defeat the existential threat of populism and called for a fundamental reset. He said there were only three years to head off a new populist surge and suggested Reform UK could threaten democracy and national institutions if allowed to establish credibility with disenchanted voters. He argued that hoping for a collapse or a fractured rightwing vote would be suicidal for freedom. The prime minister plans a new-year push on reducing the cost of living, and No 10 will overhaul communications using influencers and viral videos. A Labour source said the government is tackling problems populists exploit.

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