Keir Starmer appears to be engaging in a high-stakes political manoeuvre: attempting to undercut the far right by adopting elements of their platform. This includes echoing not only their policy positions, but also their rhetoric and populist tone. It’s a calculated risk — one that aims to strip the far right of their appeal by occupying their ideological ground. But it may well backfire.
Starmer himself remains an unpopular and unconvincing figure for many. His leadership of the Labour Party has not inspired genuine enthusiasm, and he is often seen as distant, managerial, and lacking in conviction. With public services under strain and the cost of living continuing to bite, his commitment to what is effectively another round of austerity — after well over a decade of cuts — risks pushing voters further into disillusionment.
By shifting rightward and offering little in the way of transformative change, Labour may be leaving a political vacuum that more extreme forces are poised to fill. The conditions are increasingly ripe for the emergence of a British version of the MAGA-style movement — a reactionary coalition built on cultural grievance, economic frustration, and a sense of betrayal by the political establishment.
That would be a disaster. It would deepen social divisions, fuel political chaos, and threaten hard-won rights and protections. The impact would be felt acutely by marginalised groups — including women, disabled people, people of colour, and LGBTQ+ communities. But the harm would not stop there. Many white, working-class men without the right connections — or whose face simply doesn’t fit — would also be left behind.
Rather than addressing the root causes of inequality, disaffection, and alienation, this strategy risks entrenching them further. What might seem like political pragmatism could, in fact, be clearing the way for something far more dangerous.
