Keir Starmer has branded Reform UK “a bunch of moaners without any answers” as he shrugged off the local election threat from Nigel Farage.
The Prime Minister turned his fire on the right-wing party, saying: “They stand on the side lines moaning, that’s all they do.” And ahead of St George’s Day, he said Labour was the “patriotic party” and accused Reform of fawning over Russian tyrant Vladimir Putin.
Voters will head to the polls next week to elect more than 1,600 councillors across 23 English councils, along with six mayors. The Tories are expected to have a grim night, as these seats were last contested in 2021 when Boris Johnson was riding high in the polls due to the roll out of the Covid vaccine.
Mr Farage is hoping to make major gains and recently said Reform’s tanks are “on the lawns of the Red Wall” in Labour’s northern heartlands.
Reform is also attempting to pull off a major upset in the Labour stronghold of Runcorn and Helsby, where a by-election is being held to replace shamed ex-MP Mike Amesbury. The former Labour MP was handed a two-year suspended sentence for assaulting a constituent in a late-night brawl last year.
Speaking to the Mirror on a visit to a school in Bath, Mr Starmer said: “We’ve got a really good story to tell. We said we would get waiting lists down. We’ve made really good progress on that, with 2 million extra appointments in the first seven months of a Labour government, so waiting lists are going down, people are beginning to feel that.
“More investment in our public services – something people were crying out for at the election -and money into things like potholes, which really matter to people.”
He took aim at Mr Farage’s party, saying: “We need to expose Reform for what they are, which is a bunch of moaners without any answers. When you test what they say against what they do – they say they’re in favour of workers’ rights and then every time in Parliament they get the opportunity, they vote against workers rights.”
Mr Starmer also accused Reform of wanting to charge people for using the NHS, adding: “That is something a Labour government would never do.”
It comes after Mr Farage previously advocated for an insurance-based model. Last month, the Reform UK leader denied that he wanted to make Brits pay to use the health service but said the funding model should be re-examined.
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The PM took aim at Reform’s position on Russia, saying: “They claim or pretend to be patriotic and then fawn over [Vladimir] Putin, who is the aggressor in Ukraine, so we need to expose them for what they are. But at the end of the day, what are they? They stand on the side lines moaning, that’s all they do.
“Where are their answers to the problems that they’re moaning about? There are none.”
Mr Starmer said Labour had a strong history of patriotism, pointing to the post-war rebuilding of Britain and the founding of NATO under Labour PM Clement Atlee. “I’m really proud that Labour’s the patriotic party,” he said.
“I think it’s really important that we are proud of that history and assert it on St George’s Day, as we will do. There is so much to celebrate about our country, and I’m really proud to be able to do that.”
The PM was due to host a reception in Downing Street last night to celebrate England’s national day.
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