The Far-Right Threat Lurking Behind Labour’s Potential Triumph – OpEd

If polls are to be believed, the United Kingdom is on the precipice of a seismic political shift. Recent analyses suggest that the Labour Party, led by Keir Starmer, is poised to achieve a historic majority in the upcoming election. In one striking scenario, Labour could even unseat former Prime Minister Liz Truss in her own constituency of South West Norfolk. Such an outcome would represent an unprecedented repudiation of the Conservatives and a resounding mandate for change.

However, behind this tantalizing prospect for progressives lies an alarming undercurrent - the rising spectre of far-right populism embodied by Nigel Farage and his Reform UK party. As voters grow increasingly disillusioned with the ruling Tories, a significant portion are drifting not toward Labour, but into the open arms of Farage's outfit. This rightward shift threatens to not just split the conservative vote in Labour's favor, but potentially position Reform UK as the main opposition force in the next Parliament.

Farage, ever the opportunist, has seized on this moment with a Trumpian playbook, casting himself as an anti-establishment martyr while dismissing concerns over Reform UK candidates' extremist views and associations. The media, partly due to Farage's celebrity status and partly out of an addiction to the political drama he generates, has largely given him a pass thus far. This cannot continue.

The hard reality is that a Labour landslide birthed by a Reform UK surge would be a Pyrrhic victory, one that opens the door for an empowered far-right movement to reshape British politics in its image. We have seen this movie before, from the rise of Marine Le Pen's National Rally in France to the ascendance of the Brothers of Italy party under Giorgia Meloni. In both cases, as the far-right has shed the baggage of its fascist past, establishment forces have proven all too willing to accommodate and even ally with these actors in the name of political expediency.

Even as progressive leaders like Starmer have resisted the most egregious excesses of anti-immigrant policies pushed by the right, they have often acceded to the underlying premises and rhetoric that fuel xenophobia and intolerance. This is a dangerous game, one that risks legitimizing the very forces they claim to oppose.

As Britain heads to the polls, it is crucial that voters recognize the stakes beyond partisan affiliation. A Labour victory would indeed represent a welcome repudiation of Tory mismanagement and malfeasance. But if that victory comes at the cost of a far-right resurgence, it will be little cause for celebration. The fight against the forces of division and reaction cannot be won through pragmatic concession, but only through a principled stand for the values of inclusivity, tolerance, and justice.

In this moment of profound political realignment, progressives must not only seize the opportunity for change, but also steel themselves for the battles ahead. The specter of fascism that haunted Europe in the 20th century has not been vanquished, but merely taken on new guises. It falls to all of us to recognize these threats, even - and especially - when they come cloaked in the language of populist discontent.

A Labour earthquake on election night would be a historic achievement, but it will be a hollow one if it paves the way for a far-right landslide down the road. As we celebrate the end of one political era, we must remain vigilant against the dark clouds gathering on the horizon. The fight for a more just and equitable Britain demands nothing less.