Barking and Dagenham (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Labour leaders issue warning over Reform UK’s rising popularity in Barking and Dagenham, urging party members not to be complacent about the growing threat.
Barking and Dagenham council leader Dominic Twomey made the remarks after national YouGov opinion polls indicated that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK was one point ahead of Labour in terms of voting intentions.
In the London General Election last year, Reform UK performed strongly in the borough, among other places.
According to Alex Wilson, a member of the UK‘s London Assembly, the emergence of his party is “due to the establishment’s ongoing failure to deliver for working people.”
After his predecessor, Darren Rodwell, was forced to resign as a Labour parliamentary candidate, Mr. Twomey became leader of the east London borough in 2024.
In an interview with Eddie Nestor for BBC Radio London’s “Meet the Leader” hot-seat, a show about the newest council leaders in the capital, Mr. Twomey recalled how he and other members of the Labour Party helped thwart the British National Party’s (BNP) ascent in Barking and Dagenham in 2006 when the party won 12 council seats.
He said:
“We learnt the lesson from 2006 to 2010 and onwards and ever since. Do not become complacent.
Do not allow a void to come where you don’t talk to your residents, because someone will fill it.”
Mr Wilson says any comparison between his party and the BNP is “ridiculous”.
“Nobody in frontline politics has done more to destroy the rise of the BNP than Nigel Farage,”
he added.
“We have a mayor who is more focused on diversity officers and mean tweets, rather than focusing on tackling real issues that matter to people,”
he added.
Mr Twomey said he thought Sir Keir Starmer was on the “path to improve the country”, but that Labour had to take political challenges seriously.
He said:
“Never be complacent ever, ever. Once you start to be complacent and think that that sort of change can’t happen, is when it happens.”
In May of 2025, he will run for his first council leadership position.
How is Labour planning to counter the rise of Reform UK in London?
To address the challenge posed by Reform UK, a caucus of unofficial Labour MPs has been established. Members of Parliament from constituencies where Reform UK placed second in the most recent elections are included in this category.
To offset Reform’s attraction, they want to advocate for a more robust message on topics like immigration and tangible local delivery.
In order to allay public fears regarding illegal immigration, the Red Wall faction of Labour MPs is calling for a more stringent immigration policy. This covers suggestions such as the use of identification cards.
In areas where Reform UK is making progress, Labour is also concentrating on boosting investment.
This involves economic assistance and infrastructure initiatives for northern England, which has witnessed notable changes in elections.
Labour has brought attention to policy discrepancies, especially with regard to the NHS, where Reform UK has proposed a fee for services.