Labour's deputy leader Lucy Powell has warned the party must unite behind Sir Keir Starmer or risk losing ground to Reform UK in next year's local elections. She cautioned that internal dissent makes it harder to communicate Labour's message to voters. She urged members to present a unified front before next May.
The warning comes after difficult weeks for the government, with speculation about the Prime Minister's leadership and pressure surrounding the Chancellor's November budget.
Powell wrote in the Mirror: "A Labour Government, led by Keir Starmer, for the many, not just the few." She described Labour as "unashamedly Labour" while defending policies including lifting the two-child benefit cap and imposing a "mansion tax" on high-value homes.
Internal divisions hampering message
Powell said cutting through political noise becomes significantly harder when the party shows internal divisions publicly. In her Mirror article, she wrote: "I get as frustrated as the next person when this isn't the story people get to hear. But cutting through the noise and sharing our message is made all the harder when we hang out our dirty washing for all to see."
On BBC Radio 4's Today programme, she emphasized: "This is not a personal issue, what I'm setting out here is that we have got a big argument to make." She denied targeting "any particular groups" within Labour, stating her intention was to highlight the need for a strong argument against political opponents.
Reform UK threat
Powell described the political landscape as "This is a very contested space" on the Today programme. She said Reform and Labour's political opponents are offering "the wrong direction for this country" and "[...] pitting neighbourhoods and communities against each other instead of addressing these big, fundamental issues that we face."
The deputy leader acknowledged hearing concerns from members who "worry about some of the language" used regarding immigration and asylum policy. She said: "I think what we all absolutely agree on is Reform's analysis of the situation is wrong."
Streeting's comments
Earlier this week, Cabinet minister Wes Streeting voiced frustration with Labour leadership, describing the government as having a "technocratic approach" and acting like "the maintenance department for the country". The comments came just weeks after colleagues accused him of plotting to unseat Starmer.
Streeting later clarified his remarks did not personally criticise the Prime Minister and ruled out seeking the leadership. Powell responded: "We've definitely got a big repair job to do so I would agree with him about that in terms of the maintenance department. It's a big repair job, and we do have to tell our story more strongly."
Powell defended Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood's asylum policies, saying they would ensure safe refuge for those "genuinely" fleeing persecution. She added: "I think we've got to give people confidence that we can control our borders."
Note: This article was created with Artificial Intelligence (AI).
