A senior figure from Labour's past has issued a stark warning to the current leadership, demanding a complete strategic overhaul to counter the rising threat from Reform UK. Sir Chris Powell, the advertising strategist behind New Labour's 1997 landslide victory, has said the party is failing to meet an 'existential threat' to British democracy posed by populist forces.
An 'Existential Threat' Demanding Urgent Action
In a forceful intervention, Powell argued that Prime Minister Keir Starmer does not have an adequate plan to defeat the populist challenge. He warned there are just three years to stop the 'new and terrifying threat', suggesting that Reform UK could endanger the country's democratic institutions if left unchecked.
'We simply cannot afford to allow Reform UK to have a free run, and become established and entrenched as a credible potential government in the minds of disenchanted voters,' Powell stated. He criticised a reliance on hoping Reform will implode or the right-wing vote will fracture, labelling such thinking 'potentially suicidal for our freedom and democracy.'
The Call for a New Labour 'Reset'
Powell, who is the brother of Starmer's national security adviser Jonathan Powell, called for a dramatic shift in approach. Drawing parallels with the strategic planning that preceded Tony Blair's 1997 win, he said Labour now needs 'a fundamental re-set' encompassing new strategy, branding, policy, and presentation.
He is part of the 'Winning Against Populists' project with data consultant David Cowan. Their prescription includes waging and winning the 'daily war for attention' on social media, where Nigel Farage and Reform currently dominate. Powell dismissed the government's current efforts on platforms like TikTok as 'small scale'.
He also urged Starmer to emulate successful tactics seen abroad, such as a Democratic governor in the US who won a Republican state by relentlessly focusing on 'bread and butter issues: jobs, roads, schools, prices' in plain language.
Government Response and Internal Labour Fears
The warning comes as Reform UK has led in opinion polls for almost a year, while Starmer grapples with poor personal ratings and deep unhappiness within his party. Downing Street sources pointed to the government's focus on tackling cost-of-living issues—which populists often exploit—and Starmer's repeated condemnations of divisive politics.
However, many Labour MPs are reportedly deeply worried that a strategy of relying on progressive voters to ultimately choose Starmer over Farage is complacent and risks underestimating Reform's appeal.
This year's elections in Wales, Scotland, and English locals will be a critical test of whether Reform's polling dominance translates into seats. Heavy losses for Labour could put Starmer's own position under threat.
In a clear reference to Reform in his New Year's message, the Prime Minister said: 'We are getting Britain back on track. By staying the course, we will defeat the decline and division offered by others.' Yet, for veterans like Chris Powell, such rhetoric is insufficient without a comprehensive, aggressive, and modernised counter-plan launched immediately.
