TUC Leader Urges Sir Keir Starmer to Address Cost of Living Crisis to Counter Rising Support for Reform
TUC general secretary Paul Nowak has called on Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer to tackle the cost-of-living crisis in 2026 to prevent growing support for the Reform party. A joint TUC-38 Degrees Survation poll highlights the hardships faced by many: one in three people are not turning on their heating, one in five are skipping meals, and 80% say their financial situation is not improving.
Government budget measures intended to help include heating bill relief, a higher minimum wage, lower train fares, and lifting the two-child benefit cap. Nowak warns of a real danger that disillusioned voters could turn to far-right figures such as Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson if the economy does not improve.
He emphasized that the focus should be on delivering for working people rather than on leadership speculation. Nowak described the Reform party as a dead end and stated it does not represent an agenda that benefits working people.
Additionally, the Employment Rights Act, which received Royal Assent on 18 December, marks the biggest upgrade in workers’ rights in a generation. It includes provisions such as sick pay from day one, ending exploitative zero-hours contracts, granting workers a union voice, and establishing a six-month timeline for unfair dismissal rights.
Andrea Egan has been elected Unison general secretary, and Nowak expressed his support, calling Unison a democratic union and stating he looks forward to working with Andrea and 46 other unions.
