British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has urged the Labour Party to stop "navel gazing" and unite against Reform UK, accusing the rising populist party of planning a "racist policy" of mass deportation if it wins power.
Labour is well behind Reform in opinion polls, and Starmer kicked off its annual conference in the city of Liverpool by exhorting members to focus their anger on that party, led by Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, not his own leadership.
"We have got the fight of our lives ahead of us, because we've got to take on Reform. We've got to beat them, and so now is not the time for introspection or navel gazing," he told BBC News. "We need to be in that fight united."
The next UK election is not due until 2029, but with Reform surging in popularity, Starmer is seeking a positive