Labour must prioritize stopping Reform UK over keeping Starmer in power to prevent a Trumpist takeover
Source: https://www.theguardian.com/profile/pollytoynbee. "There should be one thing on Starmer’s mind: not keeping his job, but keeping out Reform | Polly Toynbee | The Guardian." May 11, 2026. www.theguardian.com
The Gist
The author argues that Labour should replace Keir Starmer with someone more popular like Andy Burnham because Starmer can't win against Nigel Farage's Reform party. She believes Reform represents a dangerous Trump-like threat to democracy that must be stopped at all costs, even if it means Labour sacrificing its current leader.
Conclusion
Labour's primary mission should be preventing Reform UK from gaining power, even if it means replacing Starmer with a more electable leader like Andy Burnham
Premises
- Reform UK and Conservatives together scored 47% while progressive parties (Greens, Labour, Liberal Democrats) only scored 43%, indicating the hard right is winning
- Nigel Farage would almost certainly become prime minister based on current polling results, representing a 'truly terrifying prospect'
- Reform UK represents a Trumpist populist movement that threatens democracy, with fewer constitutional checks and balances than Trump faces in the US
- Starmer has deeply negative approval ratings (-69% disapproval) while Andy Burnham is the only Labour contender with positive polling
- Reform has slipped 4% from its high point, showing it's beatable, but probably not by Starmer given his unpopularity
- The threat of a Reform government outweighs concerns about party loyalty or keeping the current leader
- Progressive parties must unite against the Trumpist threat rather than treating Reform as equivalent to other opposition parties like the Greens
Assumptions
- Reform UK represents an existential threat to British democracy similar to Trumpism
- Electoral success is more important than ideological purity or party loyalty when facing authoritarian threats
- Andy Burnham would be significantly more electable than Starmer against Reform
- Current polling trends will continue unless Labour changes strategy
- The British public will respond positively to anti-Trumpist messaging
- Progressive unity is both possible and necessary to defeat Reform