customContents

entityId

entityUuid

articlePageQuery

filter

article

articleBaseAdvertisingInfoArticle

articleListArticle

articleSeoArticle

helpersCheckIsPostiesArticle

hooksArticleAcknowledgementGateOverlayArticle

hooksTrackPageViewArticle

hooksContentInterestArticle

articleLinkingDataContent

articleSchemaContent

liveArticle

advertZone

sentiment

contentLock

topics

types

sections

moreOnThisArticles

urlAlias

commentCount

sponsorType

authorLocations

authors

paywallTypes

corrections

displaySlideShow

multimediaEmbed

printHeadline

seriesContainer

socialHeadline

headline

flag

firstTopic

glossary

flattenTypeIds

publishedDate

additionalInfoBoxes

images

image

relatedLinks

relatedNewsletters

__typename

createdDate

sponsor

factSheets

series

summary

updatedDate

knowledgeQuestion

disableOffPlatformContent

published

subHeadline

body

keywords

copyrighted

customTimezone

liveContents

Agence France-Presse

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said Wednesday he fears a rise of the far-right in Britain and suggested progressive parties across Europe should jointly fight populism.
Starmer made the comments in Germany where the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD) is expected to make big gains in regional polls on Sunday, dealing a blow to centre-left Chancellor Olaf Scholz.
“I do think that we should be alive in the UK to the challenge of the far-right and populism and nationalism,” Starmer told reporters in Berlin following a meeting with Scholz.
“There are a number of reasons for my concern – partly what’s happening in the UK, partly what you can see happening in other European countries, including in France and in Germany.”

UK Labour Party leader Starmer swept to power in a landslide general election win against the Conservatives early last month, in a rare recent triumph for a European centre-left party.
The poll, however, also saw the anti-immigration Reform UK party capture 14 per cent of the vote – one of the largest shares for a hard-right British party in UK electoral history.
Meanwhile, an election in France last month resulted in an inconclusive outcome in parliament’s lower chamber National Assembly, with the far-right National Rally winning 140 out of 577 seats.
President Emmanuel Macron, who Starmer is due to meet in Paris on Thursday on the second leg of his short European tour, has yet to name a new prime minister amid the deadlock.
“I think that the challenge has to be met by democracy and by progressives, and we have to have a joint discussion about what that means across Europe and beyond, which I’m very keen to pursue with progressive parties,” Starmer added.
Pollsters attributed Reform UK’s breakthrough to disaffection with mainstream politics due to a crippling cost-of-living crisis, record levels of regular and irregular migration, and the fallout from Brexit.
Anti-Muslim riots broke out across English cities earlier this month with rioters shouting anti-immigrant slogans and chants like “Stop the Boats” – a reference to asylum seekers crossing the Channel from France.
Officials blamed disinformation and far-right figures, including Reform UK leader and arch-Eurosceptic Nigel Farage, for helping to stir up the disorder, which targeted mosques and hotels housing asylum seekers as well as police officers and other properties.


Starmer said he believed that “delivery and honesty is the best way of dealing with the snake oil of populism and nationalism”.
In a nationwide address on Tuesday he warned that his government would introduce a “painful” budget in the autumn, blaming the Conservatives for leaving the public finances in a perilous state.
But he tried to strike a more positive tone in Berlin, insisting that even though things will get worse first, the country will be in a better position by the end of the current parliament in five years.
“This is actually a project of hope, but it’s got to start with the hard yards of doing the difficult stuff, of clearing out the rot, first,” Starmer insisted.


US, Britain stress unity towards China as new strategic dialogue opens in London

UK’s Keir Starmer warns that far-right offers ‘snake oil’ of easy answers

After Oasis tour furore, UK PM vows to tackle issue of ticket prices

UK PM Keir Starmer urges European allies to meet far-right ‘challenge’

Keir Starmer

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer, left, and German Chancellor Olaf Scholz at the chancellery in Berlin, Germany on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE

French President Emmanuel Macron welcomes Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer ahead of the Paralympics Games opening ceremony on Wednesday. They will meet in Paris on Thursday. Photo: Reuters

UK PM Starmer warns of ‘painful’ higher taxes to fix Britain’s ‘economic black hole’

Keir Starmer, UK prime minister, warned of a painful budget ahead to get the country’s finances in order. Photo: Bloomberg

A woman holds an anti-racist placard as part of a “Stop the Far-right” demonstration. Photo: AFP

Starmer to warn UK life will ‘get worse’ before it gets ‘better’ in first major PM speech

Britain’s Prime Minister Keir Starmer delivers a speech during a press conference at 10 Downing street in London on August 1. Photo: Reuters. 

Rachel Reeves, Britain’s finance minister, speaks at the House of Commons in London, Britain on July 29. Photo: UK Parliament / Jessica Taylor / Handout via Reuters

A broken window at a takeaway restaurant in Middlesbrough, England on August 5 following rioting and looting the day before. Photo: AFP

UK’s Starmer condemns attack on asylum seeker hotel as far-right violence spreads

Protestors throw a garbage bin on fire outside a hotel in Rotherham, Britain. Photo: Reuters

The violence is the worst in England in more than a decade. Photo: Reuters

Scenes outside the hotel in Rotherham. Photo: Reuters

A car burns during an anti-immigration protest in Middlesbrough, England. Photo: PA via AP

Telegram’s Pavel Durov charged, banned from leaving France

Pavel Durov in 2016. The Telegram CEO has been released on bail in France. File photo: Bloomberg

Pavel Durov’s lawyer David-Olivier Kaminski. Photo: EPA-EFE

Telegram has positioned itself as a ‘neutral’ alternative to US-owned platforms. File photo: AFP

UK government calls on Elon Musk to act responsibly after provocative posts on riots

Elon Musk, owner of X, formerly known as Twitter. File photo: Twitter

Police detain a protester in Weymouth, England on August 4. Photo: AFP

Members of the local community gather before helping to clear debris from the streets in Middlesbrough, northeast England on August 5, following rioting. Photo: AFP

News

World

Europe

Keir Starmer visits Germany and France for first bilateral trip to Europe as UK prime minister


UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he fears a rise of the far-right in Britain and suggested progressive parties across Europe should jointly fight populism.
