Sir Keir Starmer said progressive parties that deliver on their campaign promises are the “best players” to tackle the “quack pills of populism and nationalism”.
The chancellor met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday and discussed a range of issues, including cooperative efforts on migration.
Sir Keir's first month in Downing Street has been centred around anti-immigrant riots across England and Northern Ireland which have targeted mosques and injured police officers.
After far-right parties made significant gains in June's European elections, with the Rally National party coming in first, French President Emmanuel Macron dissolved Parliament.
In Germany, the right-wing, anti-immigration party Alternative for Germany (AfD) won 16% of the vote in the European Parliament elections, beating Chancellor Olaf Scholz's Social Democrats (SPD).
Sir Keir told reporters in Berlin that Britain “must be sensitive” to the challenges of populism and nationalism.
“There are reasons to be concerned, firstly because of what is happening in the UK and secondly because of what is happening in other European countries, including France and Germany,” he said.
The chancellor met German Chancellor Olaf Scholz in Berlin on Wednesday (Justin Tallis/PA)
“I believe this challenge has to be solved by democracies and progressives, and we need a joint discussion about what that means across Europe and beyond. I am keen to push this discussion forward together with progressive parties.”
“And ultimately, I believe that execution and honesty are the best tools to counter the quack drugs of populism and nationalism. That's why I set out the tough measures in my speech yesterday, and why I am so determined to deliver on the promises we have made.”
Speaking in Downing Street's Rose Garden on Tuesday, Sir Keir claimed his government had inherited a “social black hole” from the Conservative party, as shown by the riots, which he condemned at the time as “far-right mob action”.
The prime minister told reporters in Berlin that Britain needed to do a “better response” to the threat of populism and said that was taking up his time.
When asked which countries he thought were dealing with the threat of populism better, Sir Keir replied: “I think different countries have different challenges and I wouldn't say that this country or this party is doing it perfectly right.”
“But I feel very strongly that we have to do a better job of dealing with this in the UK.
“And it’s for people who believe in democracy, especially people who believe in progressive democracy, to debate and learn from each other around the world.
“But frankly, this is an issue that takes up a lot of my time. At the end of the day, I think implementation is the path forward. This is an issue of dissatisfaction with politics, and easy answers are appealing if people don't think there are better answers. So progressives have to provide better answers.”
Sir Keir told reporters in Berlin that Britain needed to do a “better response” to the threat of populism (Justin Tallis/PA)
Sir Keir was questioned about the Government's response to the violence at Notting Hill Carnival, where a woman attending the event's family day with her child was stabbed after being caught up in a clash between two groups of men.
“We equally condemn any violence perpetrated by anyone,” the prime minister said.
He said: “I was very clear about the 2011 riots, which have different origins from the more recent riots, used very similar language and in many ways adopted the same approach. In that connection, I prosecuted a full range of offences over a five-year period.”
“So for me, I'm happy to say that no matter where it comes from or who perpetrates it, it's all the same and I condemn those who use violence.”
