These words – straight from the mouth from the mouth of the Prime Minister – are exactly what Mr Farage wants and needs as he seeks to demolish the Conservatives.
The big danger facing Reform is if people see them as a protest vote – the party to turn to when you want to give the traditional parties of power a kick in the shins, but not a serious choice when considering who to back in a general election.
By describing Reform as a rival for “power”, he is giving Reform credibility as a contender to be a party of government.
Two reasons Sir Keir Starmer is talking-up Reform
Reform UK has just five MPs but is ahead in the polls (Image: Getty)
Sir Keir may think he is being clever by talking-up Reform for two reasons.
First, Mr Farage is a convenient bogeyman with which to frighten Labour MPs who are grumpy about the party’s miserable poll ratings and unhappy about defending benefit cuts. The message is clear: Unite or you will lose your seats and the country will be run by populists who will make your nightmares reality.
Second, he will hope the small-c Conservative vote is split at the next election. Last year he was able to win a giant landslide with less than 34% of the vote; his heart will be gladdened at the next election if Tories and Reform supporters spending their days attacking one another instead of Labour.
It is easy to see why such short-term tactics are attractive to the PM. But it is a dangerous strategy.
Mr Farage is a genius at winning publicity and does not need Sir Keir’s help. If the Labour leader presents Mr Farage as a PM-in-waiting this will only help Reform recruit donors, voters and activists.
And what does Sir Keir hope will happen by talking-down the electoral threat from the Conservatives? Does he want Kemi Badenoch replaced with someone else who is determined to unite the right and bring this era of Left-wing Government to an end?
Sir Keir should be careful of what he wishes for
The Prime Minister may be trying to split the Right but this is a dangerous strategy (Image: Getty)
He is absolutely right to take Reform seriously. The party came second to Labour in 89 seats in the general election and is in top place in the polls.
But if he makes it easier for people to imagine Mr Farage at the cabinet table, he makes it easier for Reform to beat Labour.
