Starmer frames reform challenge at global conference as Burnham backlash grows

Sir Keir Starmer will address the Global Progressive Action Conference on Friday, telling world centre-left leaders that it is time to look ourselves in the mirror and recognize where parties have allowed voters’ concerns to drift. He is expected to frame the choice as a clash between a politics of predatory grievance and a politics of patriotic renewal, arguing that Labour and its sister outfits around the world must stand up to Reform UK and its equivalents.

The conference brings together Labour-affiliated groups from across the globe to plot a path forward as they confront a persistent insurgency in Reform UK and similar reformist movements. Starmer’s message emphasizes a shared, global test for centre-left parties: address working people’s concerns with credible, concrete policy rather than slogans. It is pitched as a defining moment for how Labour and its international partners respond to a movement that some in the party see as more durable and disruptive than traditional Tory opposition.

Over the past 48 hours, the Westminster spotlight has been seized by Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, whose public comments and economic proposals have become an irritant inside 10 Downing Street and among rank-and-file Labour MPs. Starmer’s aides have privately expressed frustration with Burnham’s approach, and discussions within the parliamentary party have reflected a battle over how aggressively to define Labour’s economic message. When Starmer recently compared Burnham’s plan to the economic calamity associated with former prime minister Liz Truss, it underscored the level of irritation at what some see as a parallel unhelpful to the party’s central message.

The row comes as Labour faces a broader strategic question: what should the party stand for, and how should it communicate that message amid a rising perception of uncertainty about its direction? The prime minister has also elevated a contentious policy in recent weeks—the move toward compulsory digital ID. He plans to present the idea as a practical tool to curb illegal working and illegal immigration and as a tangible policy distinction from opponents.

At the conference, Starmer will be joined by allied leaders, including Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, underscoring an international effort to project a united front against what Labour views as a global trend toward populist grievance. The plan has drawn opposition from Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats and the Scottish National Party, with the Conservative position offering a more cautious, open-ended stance that leaves room for possible persuasion.

Supporters argue that digital ID would give Labour a concrete instrument to define the next phase of Starmer’s premiership and provide a clear line of division with opponents. Critics, however, warn of civil liberties concerns and the practical challenges of implementing a nationwide ID scheme. The policy’s fate could influence both public perception of Labour’s competence and the party’s ability to present a coherent path forward in the post-election political landscape.

The episode illustrates the broader challenge Labour faces: how to balance internal dissent with a credible, definite program that resonates beyond its core base. For many Labour MPs, Burnham’s persona and interventions encapsulate a wider debate about how aggressively the party should pursue new economic models and how to communicate them to voters who are wary of establishment politics. At the same time, the international conference backdrop underscores Labour’s aim to project legitimacy on the world stage as it contends with Reform UK’s appeal to working-class voters who feel left behind. The outcome of these conversations could influence Labour’s strategy in the months ahead as it seeks to translate a generational shift in political dynamics into durable policy, while navigating the conflicting pressures of domestic leadership, party unity and global messaging.