How does Starmer solve a problem like Farage?

Who is the biggest winner in the UK from Donald Trump’s victory across the pond? The answer may be Nigel Farage. While Labour ministers have so far rejected the Reform party leader’s offer to act as an intermediary, the MP for Clacton can boast to have a direct line to the so-called leader of the free world. This means that like it or not, the Prime Minister may end up discovering what Trump thinks about various issues from Farage interviews rather than the diplomatic service.

However, there is another perhaps bigger problem Farage poses to Starmer – and it’s an electoral one. Today, the Reform party leader is in Newport for the party’s Welsh conference. It’s part of the party’s efforts to build power bases across the country – in this case the Senedd. The party believes it can take voters from Labour across Wales – in part aided by job losses that can be linked to the net zero agenda, such as the closure of blast furnaces in South Wales.