Kinnock urges Labour to tackle Reform's long-term nationalist threat

Neil Kinnock has warned his party not to ignore the nationalist threat posed by Nigel Farage, as concern grows in Labour ranks that Reform UK could pose a long-term threat for them as well as the Conservatives.

- Ben Quinn, Kiran Stacey ,Pippa Crerar

The former Labour leader told the Guardian he wanted Labour to turn its guns on Farage's party in the final week of the election campaign, warning that the populist right could gain a stronghold in the UK as it has across much of Europe.

Labour has been accused of not putting up a fight against Farage because Reform appeared to be taking more votes off the Conservatives.

But with Reform now predicted in some polls to win more than a dozen parliamentary seats next week, Kinnock warned that Labour needed to start taking the threat seriously.

"There is no next time; [targeting Reform] must start now," he said. "We have to combat this populist nationalism with words in explaining to people what these people are, not just who they are.

"People like Farage love the personal attention, like all narcissists, so we have to focus on explaining what they are and all their inconsistencies and falsehoods. They plant and harvest lies - they always have."

Kinnock added that if Labour was overly cautious in government, it would play into Reform's narrative that there was little difference between the two main parties.

"Absolutely vitally, [the populist right] have to be combated with actions," he said. "That means the implementation of change which is positive and cumulative, and driven by strong purpose in the service of the community."