Labour is facing a exodus of its traditional supporter base as trade union members flock to Reform UK, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned.
Paul Nowak, general secretary of the Trades Union Congress (TUC), said the Prime Minister’s concern with his party’s dire polling results was causing it to bleed support to Nigel Farage’s political outfit.
“The government needs to focus relentlessly on the cost of living and then the polls will look after themselves,” the union boss stressed.
He added: “Politicians are focused on the minutiae of polls while ordinary people are focused on the minutiae of their bank accounts.”
As head of the TUC, Mr Nowak represents around 5.5 million workers as the UK’s national federation of trade unions. In his remarks, Mr Nowak celebrated Labour’s workers’ rights package passed just before Christmas and the abolition of the two-child benefit cap.
Nevertheless, he warned a failure to “deliver the ‘change’ that was on the front of the Labour manifesto” was leading voters to Reform, chief among them his own members.
The TUC chief acknowledged significant numbers of trade unionists were now backing Reform and cautioned against dismissing their concerns.
“A lot of our (union) members vote Reform. But we should not be going around calling them racists,” he told The Independent.
Keir Starmer has been warned trade union members are leaving Labour and flocking to Reform UK
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Adding further incentive for labour’s traditional backbone, Reform has also recently flirted with more traditional left-wing economic polices, including promises to nationalise steel production and water companies.
Seemingly conceding this political realignment could propel Mr Farage into Downing Street, Mr Nowak also outlined his concerns for a Reform UK government.
“A Farage-led government would be a disaster for workers. Those new rights that we’ve just secured would be under attack,” he claimed.
The union boss feared a “return to austerity” and the “privatisation of our NHS” under Reform.
Trades Union Congress boss Paul Nowak said Labour were losing support by not handling the cost of living crisis
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It would appear many of Mr Nowak’s own members, and the British public at large, do not necessarily share his worries as Reform continues to dominate the political landscape.
Earlier this month, Reform UK became the largest political party in Britain by membership after Labour’s share collapsed by 100,000.
Internal figures showed Sir Keir’s party has fallen below 250,000 in paid-up members since the 2024 General Election.
Meanwhile, Reform UK’s membership total stands at 270,859 on its live counter, just 12 months after overtaking the Tories on 131,680.
Meanwhile, the momentum of Mr Farage’s party appears to be similarly reflected in opinion polling.
Reform currently enjoys an imperious lead of seven points over Labour, according to YouGov.
In return, Labour’s support has dwindled from 34 per cent at the last election to just 20 per cent, according to More in Common.
Reform UK is also seeing results in real terms, winning 65 council seats since May’s local elections.
Nigel Farage’s Reform UK continue to dominate Labour in opinion polling
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Mr Farage claimed a quadruple victory on December 12 after Reform UK picked up wards in Scotland, Lincolnshire and County Durham.
Compounding the misery for Sir Keir, Labour are facing challenges to its left in the battle for union support.
Unison, Britain’s largest union, recently elected Jeremy Corbyn ally Andrea Egan, who has pledged to reduce support for Labour.
The nation’s second biggest union, Unite, is also in talks to disaffiliate from the party.