Starmer needs to show he is on the side of working people or Farage will become PM, warns Labour’s biggest backer
Union boss issues warning to Starmer over government plans
- Paul Nowak, TUC general secretary, has warned that Keir Starmer's Labour government risks opening the door for Nigel Farage if it fails to convince working people that it is on their side.
- Nowak stated that for many, Labour's promise of "change" feels like a slogan rather than a tangible improvement in their lives, especially concerning cost of living pressures.
- Ahead of the TUC congress, the union body will advocate for "popular" wealth taxes, including a permanent hike in the banking surcharge, an annual 2 per cent wealth tax on assets over £10m, and equalising capital gains tax.
- Polling commissioned by the TUC indicates strong public support for these proposed wealth taxes, even among Labour voters who are considering switching their allegiance to Reform.
- Nowak cautioned that Nigel Farage, despite presenting some left-leaning policies, is a "right-wing wolf in left-wing sheep's clothing" whose interests align with figures like Elon Musk and Donald Trump, not the working class.