“I'm concerned for a number of reasons, including what's happening in the UK and in other European countries, including France and Germany.”
Starmer (left) and French President Emmanuel Macron at the Elysee Palace in Paris, France, on Wednesday. Photo: EPA-EFE
Starmer, leader of the British Labour Party, came to power with a landslide victory over the Conservative Party in the general election early last month, a rare victory for a centre-left party in Europe in recent years.
But the poll also showed the anti-immigration Reform UK Party winning 14% of the vote – one of the largest percentages for a far-right party in British electoral history.
Starmer met French President Emmanuel Macron in Paris later the same day on the second leg of a short European tour but is yet to name a new prime minister amid stalled negotiations.
“I believe this challenge has to be solved by democracies and progressives and we need to have a joint debate about what that means across Europe and beyond. I want to drive this debate together with progressive parties,” Starmer added.
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Pollsters attributed Reform UK's rise to the high cost of living, record increases in legitimate and irregular immigration, and dissatisfaction with mainstream politics in the wake of Brexit.
Earlier this month, anti-Muslim riots broke out across Britain, with rioters chanting anti-immigrant slogans and chants such as “stop the boats”, referring to asylum seekers crossing the Channel from France.
Authorities have blamed disinformation and far-right figures, including Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform UK Party and a far-right eurosceptic, for stoking the unrest, which targeted mosques, hotels staying asylum seekers, police officers and other facilities.
Mr Starmer said he believed “openness and honesty are the best ways to tackle the quack drugs of populism and nationalism”.
But the chancellor sought to project a more positive tone in Berlin, arguing that even if things get worse initially, the country will be in a better position by the end of the current parliamentary session five years from now.
“This is actually a project of hope but we must start with the hard work, the hard work of rooting out the corruption,” Starmer argued.
