Labour MPs set up new group to focus on threat of Reform UK
The informal cohort is drawn from the 89 constituencies where party came second to Labour at the July General Election.
Politics latest:
One of the MP's involved told Sky News it is an "important signal of where things are headed" and the members will shout about the need to do more on migration and for tangible local delivery.
"We're a fearless bunch," the MP said, adding the group were not afraid to "call a spade a spade".
Some Labour MPs are worried about the government's communication strategy and fear positive things ministers are doing - like nationalising the railways and the new deal for working people - are not cutting through.
The group is expected to focus on working together to get on top of Reform's threat rather than express active unhappiness with Sir Keir Starmer.
According to The Guardian, Downing Street has dispatched data and strategy experts to advise MPs on the sort of messages that are resonating with Reform-minded voters.
A Labour Party source said: "Groups of MPs meet all the time about lots of different issues.
"Labour MPs are rightly concerned about Nigel Farage's plans to make people pay to access NHS services and will carry on taking the fight to them and other opposition parties in parliament and at the ballot box."
Mr Farage said recently that he is "open to anything" when it comes to the NHS and he is interested in the model of the French healthcare system "where you pay in to effectively an insurance scheme".
Many Labour MPs, including health secretary, have seized on the comments to draw dividing lines between Labour and Reform.
While Reform's rise hit the Tories the most at the last general election, multiple polls suggest there is now a real threat to Sir Keir Starmer, despite his landslide victory just six months ago.
Read More:
A YouGov poll for Sky News on Monday showed Reform UK on 25%, with pushed into second on 24% and the Tories on 21%.
Pollsters stressed Reform's lead was "within the margin of error".
However it comes after multiple other polls suggested Mr Farage's favourability rating is on the rise while
Many experts see change as the result of a collapse in the belief that the mainstream political parties can improve the lives of ordinary people.
The first major test for Reform will come at the local elections in May, while the party is also hoping to make gains at the
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Yahoo
5 hours ago
- Yahoo
Suspended Labour councillor who 'encouraged violent disorder' at east London protest faces trial
A suspended Labour councillor will go on trial charged with encouraging violent disorder during an anti-racism protest. Ricky Jones, 57, is alleged to have committed the offence while addressing a crowd at the demonstration in Walthamstow, east London, on August 7 last year. It is alleged he described far-right protesters as 'disgusting Nazi fascists' and said 'we need to cut their throats and get rid of them', a previous court hearing was told. A video which appeared to show Jones calling for far-right protesters' throats to be 'cut' emerged on social media after the protest. The demonstration was organised in response to the nationwide violent disorder that occurred last summer following the fatal stabbings at a children's dance class in Southport, Merseyside. Jones will face one count of encouraging violent disorder at Snaresbrook Crown Court on Monday, having pleaded not guilty to the offence at the same court last September. Defence barrister Hossein Zahir KC previously said Jones accepted the words had been spoken but denied knowing the offence of violent disorder would be committed. Jones, who has been a borough councillor in Dartford, Kent, since 2019, was suspended by the Labour Party the day after the alleged incident. In reference to the video, a Labour spokesperson said at the time: 'This behaviour is completely unacceptable and it will not be tolerated.'
Yahoo
6 hours ago
- Yahoo
Could an outright ban on zero-hours contracts harm working mums?
Since the Labour government came into power in the summer of 2024, ministers have pledged to crackdown on 'exploitative' zero-hours contracts as part of changes to the employment bill. Under the new rules proposed, employers will have to offer workers a contract that guarantees a minimum number of hours every week – a change many see as a significant step forward for job security. More than one million people in the UK are working on a zero-hours contract basis, in areas ranging from hospitality and warehouses to the NHS. Women are disproportionately affected by the precarious nature of zero-hours work, which contributes to the gender pay gap. Read more: Why did shared parental leave fail in the UK? According to the Trades Union Congress, women are 34% more likely than men to be on such contracts, and they earn nearly £10 less an hour than men who aren't on them. However, some argue that an outright ban, without tackling the growing shortage of flexible jobs, won't truly level the playing field for women and working mothers. Chronic lack of flexible work In a push to pre-pandemic flexible working arrangements, almost half of all businesses across the UK now want staff back in the office on a full-time basis, a British Chambers of Commerce survey of more than 500 businesses found. At the same time, more than a million UK workers have quit their jobs in the past year because of a lack of flexibility. This U-turn is hitting mothers hard, with one in four forced to leave the workforce because it's impossible to work and care for children without adequate flexibility. 'An outright ban on zero‑hours contracts could indeed harm working mothers, but not for the reasons you'd expect,' says Elizabeth Willets, founder of the recruitment firm Investing in Women. 'The issue isn't that women choose precarious work. It's that our labour market offers so few truly flexible, professional-level roles – and zero‑hours contracts often become the only way to combine work and caregiving.' Women aren't taking on zero-hours roles by choice. For many, there is no quality flexible or part-time equivalent. According to the 2023 Flexible Jobs Index by Timewise, the number of jobs advertised as flexible has plateaued. Only 31% overtly offer it – which is a negligible change from 30% in 2022. 'It leaves women balancing insecurity against inflexibility as their only options,' says Willets. Women need enough to live and plan on That being said, there's a need to balance flexibility with financial stability. For those without guaranteed hours, it's hard to anticipate income and schedule childcare in advance, says Rachel Carell, founder and CEO of childcare organisation Koru Kids. 'We've worked with many working mums as freelancers doing things like marketing and design – but rarely on zero hours,' she says. 'I've heard again and again that flexibility is vital, but so is the ability to plan and earn enough to live on. Zero-hours contracts rarely offer that.' Read more: What to expect from a maternity discrimination employment tribunal About 80% of zero-hours contract workers want regular hours, with 75% reporting financial hardship due to insufficient hours. And, these contracts can sometimes limit flexibility too. According to TUC research, two-thirds (67%) of mothers on zero-hours contracts have difficulty managing work with childcare – and two-thirds have missed out on a planned family event because of needing to work. When Carell launched the business, most of the nannies were on zero-hours contracts. 'But we moved away from these contracts voluntarily, because we heard from Koru Kids nannies that they didn't provide the security the nannies needed. We worked with parents to design new contracts that still gave flexibility, but also offered predictable hours and income,' she explains. Finding a flexible middle ground Clearly, change is needed – but simply banning zero-hours contracts may not be the solution. What could be done to keep those who rely on flexibility in the workforce, without forcing them to sacrifice their income? 'Countries like New Zealand, Germany and Ireland have shown ways to regulate zero-hours use while preserving flexibility,' says Willets. In 2016, New Zealand banned the insecurity of zero-hours contracts, not the adaptability. Employers still get to increase hours when needed, but workers start from a guaranteed base, are compensated for standby time and can decline extra work without fear of losing future shifts. 'Short-term reforms could also include guaranteed minimum hours after six months, notice periods for shift changes and pension contributions from day one, regardless of earning thresholds,' adds Willets. 'In the long-term? The real fix lies in businesses offering genuine alternatives like quality job shares, part-time roles aligned with professional pay scales, term-time contracts that don't penalise women and flexible working from day one.' Offering quality part-time work in senior roles would no doubt help to narrow the gender pay gap, which widens at higher salary levels. Below salaries of £20,000, 22% of job adverts offer part-time work, but this almost halves to 12% at the £20k point. And, it reduces to just 6% amongst jobs paid more than £60,000 a year. Improving access to promotions for part-time workers is also key. Michelle Chikanda, who founded the leadership firm Legacy Never Dies to work around her 2-year old son, adds that a ban on zero-hours could lead to more permanent and consistent work being available, if the government aids businesses. 'A ban must be matched with tax incentives for businesses that reduce the cost of hiring certain groups of people, like working mothers, creating a sustainable solution for all parties,' she says. Ultimately, the goal should be to replace zero-hours contracts with stable, flexible roles that don't force women into choosing between work, stability and their families. 'That's how we build real equity,' says Willets. 'Not with one-size-fits-all reform, but with thoughtful change grounded in lived reality.' Read more: How to speak to your boss about miscarriage How to stay motivated during a long job hunt Does mental health first aid work?Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Bloomberg
7 hours ago
- Bloomberg
Keir Starmer Is Walking a Fine Line in Tackling Immigration
Do you beat the populists or join them when they whip up public outrage over immigrant numbers? That's the dilemma facing center-left and center-right parties across Europe — and Britain is no exception. Nigel Farage, leader of the populist Reform UK party, is riding high in the opinion polls this summer while campaigning on the alleged links between crime and high immigration. Labour and the Conservatives struggle to respond: They have to tread a fine line between acknowledging genuine public fears and inflaming rank prejudice.
