Keir Starmer has expressed concern that the UK could face a rise in mass far-right populism as seen in Germany and France, as he said it was his mission to “inject some hope” into the country.
Speaking to reporters in Germany, where the far-right Alternative für Deutschland (AfD) could come top in three state elections next month, Starmer said the increase in support for such groups was “something that occupies my time”, especially after UK riots partly inspired by far-right misinformation.
“I do think that we should be alive in the UK to the challenge of the far right and populism and nationalism,” the prime minister said after talks in Berlin with Olaf Scholz, the German chancellor.
“There are a number of reasons for my concern, partly what’s happening in the UK, partly what you can see happening in other European countries, including in France and in Germany.
“I think that the challenge has to be met by democracy and by progressives, and we have to have a joint discussion about what that means across Europe, and beyond which I’m very keen to pursue with progressive parties.”
Asked if any particular countries had found a way to push back the tide of what Starmer called “the snake oil of populism and nationalism”, he said he would not single out any particular nation, not least because the issue varied across borders.
“I don’t think you’d expect me to do that, but I do feel strongly that we have to have a better response in the UK to this, and that is for those who believe in democracy and those who believe in progressive democracy in particular, to discuss learning from each other around the world,” he said.
“It is something that occupies my time. I do think in the end, delivery is the way forward. It’s about a disaffection in politics, the easy answer is appealing if people don’t think there’s a better answer, and so progressives have to provide the better answer.”
Starmer’s trip to Germany came directly after a sometimes downbeat speech at Downing Street, the first major public address of his time in office, at which he warned of likely tax rises in October’s budget amid other “painful” decisions to come.
Asked in Berlin if he could guarantee people would feel the benefits of his policies by the end of the current parliament, Starmer replied: “Yes, and let me inject some hope.”
He went on: “The whole point of this exercise is to make sure we can bring about the change that we need. If you don’t clear out the rot and don’t do it properly, you’ve got nothing to build on, and therefore this is a vital step.
“If you’re redecorating your house and you want it to look much nicer, it’s usually better if you strip it down, get rid of the damp and the cracks first, rather than painting it in five minutes, thinking it looks much better, and by Christmas, the cracks and the damp come back.
“So this is actually a project of hope, but it’s got to start with the hard yards of doing the difficult stuff, of clearing out the rot first.”
Asked about one of the fiscally tough decisions already made, to limit the winter fuel allowance payable to pensioners to those who receive pension credit, which has prompted worries it could leave some older people unable to heat their homes, Starmer said he hoped to “get as many pensioners who are eligible on to pension credit as possible”.
He said: “It’s really important that we do that, and we’re looking at the best way of increasing those numbers to make sure that those that are vulnerable get protection.”
Asked about one possible tax rise in the budget, to fuel duty, Starmer reiterated his pledge to not increase VAT, income tax or national insurance, but said that, beyond that, “I’m not going to speculate about the budget”.
