Sir Keir Starmer was threatened with revolt from the Left at Labour’s national conference yesterday as he was warned against being a “Tory-lite, tinpot Thatcher, Blairite tribute act” from a member of his party’s own ruling executive committee.
Mish Rahman, who sits on Labour’s all-powerful National Executive Committee, launched a blistering attack on the Prime Minister’s leadership at an event taking place on the fringes of the party’s annual conference in Liverpool.
The West Midlands activist attacked Starmer for meeting with the Italian prime misinterpreted earlier this month, branding her “Far Right”, and criticised Labour for looking to replicate the country’s immigration policies.
Rahman called on the left-wing of the Labour Party to “organise” to block Starmer from imposing policies which he claimed are taken from Reform UK’s Nigel Farage.
Sir Keir Starmer was criticised by Mish Rahman at a fringe event of the Labour Party’s annual conferencePA“Our fear now is, what Farage says today, the Tories will say tomorrow, and Labour may legislate the day after,” he told Labour members.
“True to form, weeks after we witnessed those asylum hotels in Rotherham being besieged by rioters, the Government proudly announced its plans to open detention centres, accelerate deportations, charter removal flights and oversee a surge in immigration enforcement.
“That was the Labour response, so it’s vital we continue to organise just as we did against the Tories, if need be, against any Tory-lite, tinpot Thatcher, Blairite tribute act when they come short and if they come short.
“And as it seems to be they might be continuing to do so [falling short].”
Sir Keir Starmer has faced a backlash from the Labour Left
PA
It comes as Starmer’s popularity sinks to its lowest level of his premiership.
An Opinium poll at the weekend revealed Starmer’s approval rating has plunged below the level of Tory leader Rishi Sunak.
His approval rating dropped by 45 per cent compared to July to a net approval rating of -26 per cent.
Sunak has a net approval rating of -25 per cent.
Starmer has faced criticism of his handling of riots in the summer, Labour’s decision to scrap universal Winter Fuel Payments for pensioners, and accepting designer clothing from pay donors.
Taking a pop at the Labour donor row, Rahman said: “We make sure Labour do deliver the change that they promised, not just the change in their designer clothes and their glasses.”
He added: “British politics is currently loaded with anti-migrant, anti-asylum politics, Islamophobia, racism is now rife on our tellies, even in Parliament but the lessons don’t seem to have been learnt.
“And in fact, Starmer’s Labour seems to have embraced the current debate by contributing throwing its own fuel onto the bonfire by promising their own blitz on illegal immigration.”