Labour’s weakness on crime ‘risks fuelling voter exodus to Reform’: Starmer warned to get tough as Nigel Farage’s party tops national poll for first time_Nhy
Labour should demand police get tougher on fighting crime or risk a backlash from working class voters at the polls, a new report warns today.
Supporters of every political party want a more hardline approach to law enforcement that they currently believe is happening, even the Liberal Democrats and the Greens.
A report by Policy Exchange today warns that Sir Keir Starmer‘s party could see an exodus of its most hardline pro-police backers like that experienced by the Tories at the 2024 general election.
It warns that as well as its focus on immigration, Nigel Farage‘s party is making itself a ‘home’ for voters unhappy at the state of the police.
It comes as Reform tops a major UK poll for the first time.
A new analysis by YouGov for the Times puts the hard right party on 25 per cent, up two points in a week.
Labour is down three points on 24 per cent, while the Tories are in third on 21 per cent, down a point.
A report by Policy Exchange today warns that Sir Keir Starmer ‘s party could see an exodus of its most hardline pro-police backers like that experienced by the Tories at the 2024 general election.
Polling for the think tank shows that the ‘toughness gap’ of Labour voters – between how tough they think police are on crimefighting and how tough they would like them to be – was 17 points ahead of the July vote, up from 13 points in 2019.
The figure for the Tories fell from 25 to 18 points in the same period, suggesting its most hardline supporters quit for Reform, which rose 15 points to 38 in 2024.
Jonathan Hinder, the Labour MP for Pendle & Clitheroe, who is a former police inspector, said: ‘As this timely report sets out, voters across the political spectrum, and across ethnicities, want much bolder action on crime.
‘The Left has often been far too squeamish about policing, despite crime’s disproportionate effect on the working class communities we seek to represent.
‘The new Labour government now has the opportunity to face down the vocal anti-police activists, back our officers to take back the streets, and reconnect with our working-class base in the process.’
Last month a police chief warned his force may have to cut 400 officers and staff after the Government’s announcement of an extra £100 million for neighbourhood policing was branded a ‘tiny percentage’ of what they needed.
A new analysis by YouGov for the Times puts Nigel Farage’s hard right party on 25 per cent, up two points in a week.
Lincolnshire Police Chief Constable Paul Gibson said a £14 million funding gap for 2025/6 is still forecast after a first assessment of the final settlement set out on Friday.
The Government confirmed it will invest an extra £100 million into neighbourhood policing, adding to £100 million announced in December for England and Wales to put 13,000 more police officers on the streets by 2029.
The £200 million, which is part of the Police Funding Settlement, is about ‘visible, accessible policing’, Downing Street said.
Policing minister Dame Diana Johnson said she was ‘not pretending’ that police forces were not facing funding challenges, and decisions would need to be made locally on how many officers to have.
David Spencer, head of crime and justice at Policy Exchange and a former Met DI, said: ‘Our polling reveals that across every demographic group and political party the public are unequivocal in wanting the police to take a tougher approach to crime and criminals.
‘Rather than listening to a small group of ultra-progressive activists and their legal supporters the Labour Government needs to deliver what the law-abiding majority want on crime and policing.
‘If they don’t, Labour should fully expect Reform to take electoral advantage of their failings – they have been warned.’
