Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf has hit out at Sir Keir Starmer after the prime minister pledged to tackle the potential rise of a ‘far-right’ party in the UK.
While the Labour leader made no reference to the party in his speech, Nigel Farage & Co’s insurgency in recent months has led to many drawing their own conclusions given their hardline approach to issues like immigration.
Speaking on GB News, Yusuf said the threshold for being branded ‘far-right’ by Sir Keir is a low one.
“This is turning out to be a dystopian Keir Starmer Labour Government - worse than any of us could have feared”, he said.
Zia Yusuf hit out at Keir Starmer
GB NEWS / PA
“Let’s get something clear about the term, according to Starmer and his Government, anyone to the right of Karl Marx and Lenin is far-right.
“If believing that violent criminals should be in jail, if believing we should have a coherent immigration policy and believing we should put UK citizens first is to be considered far-right, then God help us all.
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“A large number of people in the European populous is waking up to catastrophic mass migration with cultures like in Germany and France dissipating.
“These populations are fed up and are therefore not voting for leftist governments. We’ve had enough.”
Ex-Labour adviser Scarlett MccGwire chimed in on the discussion to suggest Starmer is correct to fear a far-right surge given the recent unrest in Britain.
“To pretend that Starmer is some sort of Marxist is absurd. We’re talking about for example, Marine Le Pen’s party in France”, she said.
Emmanuel Macron all smiles with Keir Starmer after Olaf Scholz arrivesREUTERS“When we talk about it here, we’re talking about the people rioting.”
Asked if she considers Reform to be a “far-right” party, MccGwire said she does not feel this is the case, but she “disagrees” with them fundamentally nonetheless.
Speaking on his visit to Paris, the Prime Minister said the far-right is a “very real threat” which needs to be combatted.
He said the best way to deal with the “snake oil” of populism and nationalism was through “delivery” and “showing there are progressive, democratic answers to the many challenges we face is the way forward”.
The wave of riots that gripped the country were fuelled by an anti-immigration sentiment.
They kicked off after a crazed stabbing attack in Southport where three young girls.