To win the battle against Reform, Labour must first define its enemy | Tom Baldwin

"After the past fortnight in which Labour's internal bickering has once again distracted attention from government decisions that will affect real lives, it's worth remembering how Keir Starmer briefly lifted his party's gaze from its own navel to a higher purpose a few months ago. That was back in September, the previous occasion when Andy Burnham's name was being bandied around,"

"This would be a different battle, he warned, because Labour was up against opponents who represented a strain of rightwing politics alien to a Britain that had never faced a proposition like Reform before. He has reiterated this view several times since, not least in a pre-Christmas interview, in which Starmer said that while he could still sleep at night under the Conservatives, that wouldn't be the case if Nigel Farage's party was in power."

"It is remarkable, however, that some of his own party's staff don't accept that the stakes are so high or the contrast so stark. Official Labour social media accounts routinely proclaim that the Tories and Reform are basically the same. A post last month suggested that these two parties offer only the same people, same chaos and decline, while an advertising campaign against Reform titled Tories: the sequel is reportedly being planned."

Labour's internal bickering has recently distracted attention from government decisions that affect people's lives. Keir Starmer briefly refocused the party toward combating Reform UK and its racist policies, warning of a unique rightwing threat unfamiliar to Britain. Starmer has repeatedly contrasted the danger posed by Nigel Farage's party with Conservatives, saying he could not sleep if Reform were in power. Some Labour staff and official social accounts, however, present the Conservatives and Reform as essentially the same, promoting messaging that risks blurring that contrast. Planned advertising and the temptation of Tory defections complicate efforts to maintain a clear opposition narrative.

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