Sir Keir Starmer says the UK needs “to be alive” to the rise of a German-style “far-right” party in the UK.
The Prime Minister also said he wanted to work with other “progressive parties” on mainland Europe to take the fight to “far-right” parties.
The Prime Minister said that “delivery and honesty is is the best way of dealing with the snake oil of populism and nationalism”.
Starmer was quizzed by journalists on the margins of a summit in Berlin with Chancellor Olaf Scholz over whether he was worried the UK could face “an AFD type, quite popular far-right party”.
He replied: “I do think that we should be alive in the UK to the challenge of the far right and populism and nationalism.
“And there are a number of reasons for my concern, partly what’s happening in the UK, partly what you can see happening in other European countries, including in France and in Germany.
“I think that the challenge has to be met by democracy and by progressives, and we have to have a joint discussion about what that means across Europe, and beyond which I’m very keen to pursue with progressive parties.
“And ultimately, I think that delivery and honesty is is the best way of dealing with the snake oil of populism and nationalism, which is why I set out the tough measures I did yesterday in my speech, but also why I’m absolutely determined that we’re going to deliver on the promises that we’ve made.”
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Sir Keir Starmer in BerlinREUTERSHe added: “I do feel strongly that we have to have a better response in the UK to this, and that is for those who believe in democracy and those who believe in progressive democracy in particular, to discuss learning from each other around the world.
“But I’d be really clear – it is something that occupies my time. I do think in the end, delivery is the way forward.
“It’s about a disaffection in politics, the easy answer is appealing if people don’t think there’s a better answer, and so progressives have to provide the better answer.”
Source Agencies
