Sir Keir Starmer has insisted Labour can “pull this round” despite a major poll suggesting Nigel Farage could be on course for a landslide victory at the next general election. The Prime Minister is seeking to use Labour’s conference in Liverpool to launch a series of eye-catching pledges, including plans for new towns, in an effort to revive both his party’s fortunes and his premiership.
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The scale of the challenge facing Sir Keir, who entered Downing Street with a large majority only last year, was highlighted by research from More in Common. Using a representative sample of 19,520 people and multilevel regression and post-stratification modelling, the study suggested Reform UK could secure 373 seats with a majority of 96, leaving Labour reduced to around 90 seats and the Conservatives pushed into fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats.
Sir Keir described the contest with Reform UK as “the fight of our times” and called for unity within his party, amid speculation that Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham could seek a return to Westminster. However, separate polling indicates Labour’s strategy of focusing attacks on Mr Farage is failing to resonate with voters. Sixty-two per cent of those surveyed said Labour should concentrate on its own programme for government, while recent resignations from senior figures such as Angela Rayner and Lord Mandelson have been more visible to the public than the party’s achievements.
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Alongside the poll, Labour ministers are seeking to demonstrate delivery on key promises. Housing Secretary Steve Reed confirmed construction on three new towns – in Tempsford, Leeds South Bank, and Crews Hill in north London – will begin before the election, as part of wider plans for 12 developments. Meanwhile, Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood pledged reforms to migration and human rights laws, arguing tougher border measures are essential to preventing division and tackling the rise of the far right.
