Top British MP reveals ‘antidote’ to rise of far-right at Labor love in
A British Labour MP and long-term supporter of the country’s new Prime Minister is speaking at Labor’s party conference in Adelaide. He tells InDaily how the government can tackle the likes of Nigel Farage and Pauline Hanson.
Ahead of his appearance at the 50th Australian Labor Party National Conference, British Member of Parliament Andrew Pakes said the shine was wearing off far-right political figures like Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage in his home country.
Speaking to InDaily, the MP for Peterborough said his party’s newly minted Prime Minister Andy Burnham was an “antidote to some of that right-wing populism we’re seeing in the United Kingdom and in Australia”.
Burnham – dubbed the ‘King of the North’ after his time serving as Mayor of Manchester and speaking out about COVID restrictions – took office earlier this week. He replaced Keir Starmer, who resigned last month amid declining popularity and a rise in support for far-right leaders like Farage.
Pakes has known Burnham since 2008, saying he was “really looking forward to serving alongside him as a Labour MP in his government”.
“Andy Burnham’s appeal isn’t just about the North,” said Pakes, who was in Adelaide to present on the UK’s agenda to double its co-operative and mutual economy.
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“It’s about the North, South East, Midlands and the West. I think he’s got the opportunity to take a traditional Labour agenda, but apply it with a bit of soul to it, which the public is looking for.”
Prime Minister Anthony Albanese is fighting the rise of right-wing party One Nation, just as Burnham is staring down the populist party Reform UK.
Led by controversial politician Farage, the party campaigns on getting tough on immigration, cost-of-living and its strong opposition to Net Zero emissions policy.
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The party has been polling strongly over the past year, with Labour trailing it for months.
Similarly, Pauline Hanson’s One Nation has been surging in Australian opinion polls, posing a real threat to the Liberal National Party federally and achieving a solid result in the South Australian election where it secured four House of Assembly seats for the first time in history.
On a trip to the United Kingdom this month, Hanson met with prominent far-right activist and founder of the anti-Islam English Defence League movement Tommy Robinson.
Robinson has been banned from several social media platforms for violating rules on hateful conduct and hate speech, and has multiple criminal convictions. Farage has previously disavowed Robinson, saying he was “not welcome” in Reform UK.
Pakes said it was “no wonder” people were frustrated, “given the state of the world and financial pressures families are facing in Australia and in the United Kingdom”.
“I think those daily pressures are a message from the voters. They want us to be bolder and go quicker, and that’s the agenda Andy Burnahm talks about,” Pakes said.
“If we can fix the basics of life so people can have a bit of breathing space and fix the bigger problems, then that’s the best way to tackle the rise of far-right extremism and populism.”
Pakes said “some of the shine is coming off Nigel Farage”, noting “people are increasingly seeing that he’s not really a voice of the people”.
“He’s more a voice of the big vested interests that fund him,” he said.
“I’m really looking forward to working with Australian Labor colleagues at the conference, but to learn from each other.
“I think we’ve got lessons to learn from the ALP who were behind in the polls before the last election, but went on to win a handsome victory to give Albanese a second term.”
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