It may be comforting in Labour circles to believe Nigel Farage’s rise can be stemmed by Labour investing heavily in housing, especially council housing.
True, the Tories abysmally failed to deliver either public or private accommodation. That failure – coupled with record immigration under the Conservatives – was a huge reason for the party’s catastrophic defeat on July 4.
Comforting though it may be for Labourites to believe Sir Keir Starmer can woo floating Reformer voters back with the promise of more housing, the issues which motivate Farage supporters go deeper than this or access to the NHS.
Beneath all of this lies a tremendous sense that national cohesion has gone in Britain.
This is not the fault of immigration per se, but mass immigration without integration, leading to parallel communities without time for new arrivals to bed-in.
Indeed immigrants are not to blame for this. Those who journey to Britain, either legally or illegally, are just following their obvious self-interest in bettering their lot.
But Labour’s almost certain continuation of an open-door policy – with or without more houses being built – is going to catalyse support for Reform UK.
Farage backers are not all focused on material problems like housing. Instead it is something less tangible, a loss of belonging, or at least a sense the nationhood many remember has been eroded.
Again, this is not something new arrivals and minorities are to blame for. Government policy, lack of planning, and lack of integration – prioritising the quick and dirty needs of big business over community cohesion – are really to blame.
Still, what pulls voters to Farage – and what is creating three-way marginals nationally and driving Reform to second place in one recent poll – is not at its heart about housing or access to public services, although this may be in the mix.
It is a sense that a house divided against itself cannot stand, and Britain is now a house divided, unable to unite its various communities, and instead of working to integrate those already in Britain, piling in even more people who cannot possibly be integrated at this rate.
The fault lies with politicians and many in the business world. Farage understands this and Reform’s language of nationhood speaks to the betrayal many feel across the country.
Labour only has one route to woo voters back and that is to develop a Left-wing case for strong borders, and in so doing guard workers’ rights and salaries (which are driven down by low wage immigration), while prioritising the needs of working class communities (of all colours).
Failure to do that – regardless of whether more houses get built (and frankly the targets in place are far too low) only guarantees Reform’s rise continues.
