Former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has criticised Keir Starmer's strategy of positioning Nigel Farage as the main opposition to his government, warning it could prove counterproductive.
The comments come after Starmer launched a series of attacks on the Reform UK leader during a speech at a glass factory in St Helens, describing the Conservative party as "sliding into the abyss" and identifying Reform as Labour's main challenger.
On Tuesday, Farage vowed to reverse cuts to winter fuel payments and scrap the two-child benefit cap, with an ambition to slash income tax.
Starmer compared Farage's fiscal proposals to Liz Truss's disastrous mini-budget, saying Reform was committed to "billions upon billions of completely unfunded spending". He called this "Liz Truss all over again" and "Liz Truss 2.0".
Former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle has criticised Sir Keir Starmer's strategy
GB NEWS
"We're once again fighting the same fantasy, this time from Farage – the same bet in the same casino that you could spend tens of billions of pounds on tax cuts without a proper way of paying [for] it," Starmer said.
Former Labour MP Lloyd Russell-Moyle told GB News: "One of my colleagues said to me last week, the big problem with what we're doing is we're turning Nigel Farage into our only opposition.
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"And so, if you're fed up with the Labour Party and people get fed up with governments of all stripes they're not very political.
"Very often, they just want to send a message of give another guy a go.
"And if we're telling everyone the only other guy that's in the running to have another go at this is Nigel Farage, it's not the strategy that I would be choosing, because I think it might end up shooting you in the foot."
He added: "What Labour has to do is do the proof in the pudding. Introduce the Farage giveaways, but show how you can pay for it without trying to slash the potential of jobs in the green economy, which is what the Green Deal will do.
"Bring jobs to this country. Show that you can cut a better deal with America without giving our chlorinated chicken for example, which they have done.
"They need to start to be better at selling the things they're doing, reversing the mistakes they've made, and introducing progressive taxation.
"Because if they just say, 'look at that horrible man over there', it won't work. We know it hasn't worked, as you said, in other countries."
Keir Starmer asked whether Nigel Farage can be trusted POOLFarage has argued that his measures can be paid for by scrapping net zero commitments and ending the use of hotel accommodation for asylum seekers.
The Prime Minister described the Conservatives as "sliding into the abyss" and identified Reform as Labour's main challenger.
Finishing off his speech, Starmer said: "I don't need lessons from Nigel Farage about the issues that matter most to working people in this country."
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