Keir Starmer Urged to Adopt Comprehensive Strategy Against Populists
Chris Powell, an election strategy analyst who has advised Labour, and David Cowan, founder of Forensics and co-founder of winningagainstpopulists.com, argue that Keir Starmer is not doing enough to counter Reform UK and other populist forces. They call for a comprehensive action plan to prevent these groups from gaining credibility and entrenching their power in the UK.
The authors advocate learning from New Labour's 1995 playbook, which involved a complete reorientation of strategy, branding, policy, presentation, and organisation. They note that populists globally employ tactics such as changing voting systems, jailing opponents, and media control to consolidate power, and Labour must be vigilant to avoid a similar fate.
Three key lessons are outlined: firstly, Labour must fight fire with fire on messaging; secondly, Starmer must engage voters with clear, bread-and-butter issues; and thirdly, the party should overhaul its media and communications strategy with a two-front approach. This includes establishing a semi-autonomous digital narrative unit alongside a permanent hyper-local ground campaign.
Inspired by Stacey Abrams' approach in Georgia, the authors propose a local action network that listens to community concerns, runs targeted campaigns, and publicises small victories to build momentum.
While Labour has taken limited steps—such as closer engagement with Europe, criticism of Brexit, and promotional TikTok videos—the authors warn there is no full-scale counter-populist plan in place. With populists coordinating internationally through platforms like CPAC and figures such as Steve Bannon, the authors urge Labour to respond decisively to this threat.
They cite Tony Blair’s 1995 planning meeting as a precedent for the type of strategic reset needed to effectively challenge populism and secure long-term electoral success.
