Starmer seeks global momentum against Reform UK as digital ID plan dominates UK politics

Prime Minister Keir Starmer will address a conference of centre-left leaders from around the world on Friday, arguing that it is time to look ourselves in the mirror and recognise where our parties have allowed themselves to shy away from the concerns of working people. The Global Progressive Action Conference will bring Labour’s international partners together to discuss how to respond to Reform UK and its equivalents abroad, according to notes from the event. Starmer is expected to present a frame in which Labour and its sister outfits worldwide pursue a politics of patriotic renewal in opposition to what he characterises as a predatory grievance politics that he says preys on working people’s problems.

This is the defining political choice of our times, Starmer will claim, a contrast between a politics of predatory grievance and a politics of patriotic renewal. The message is meant to crystallise Labour’s stance at a moment when Reform UK’s gains have unsettled the party, and when Starmer seeks to align the UK’s domestic direction with a broader global progressive coalition. The conference agenda also places Labour alongside leaders from other democracies to debate shared challenges, including how to respond to rising populism, economic dislocation, and migration pressures. The event is being attended in part by Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, according to notes circulating ahead of the talks.

In the lead-up to the conference, Labour has had little shortage of headlines at home. A cascade of coverage over the past 24 hours focused on Andy Burnham, the Mayor of Greater Manchester, and his economic proposals, which have drawn sharp responses from within Labour’s parliamentary ranks. The timing, many in Westminster say, is not accidental: Burnham’s media appearances have fed a sense among some MPs that the party’s direction remains unsettled. For his part, Burnham has argued that Labour needs a clearer economic vision and a plain-speaking message about how to deliver growth and opportunity in northern and post-industrial communities.

The scale and tone of the backlash within Labour MPs toward Burnham’s interviews have been notable. While Burnham has supporters in the Parliamentary Labour Party, many colleagues have told reporters that he should refrain from wading into public debates that, in their view, risk undermining Labour’s collective messaging. The dispute highlights a broader tension: how to present a coherent economic program while contesting a political landscape where Reform UK has managed to position itself as a credible critique of the status quo. The Burnham controversy sits against the backdrop of another big domestic issue that Starmer has framed as central to his premiership: the plan for compulsory digital identity.

Starmer’s staff have emphasised that the digital ID proposal is intended to be a practical tool to verify work eligibility and thereby address illegal working and, by extension, illegal immigration. The policy has drawn fierce opposition from Reform UK, the Liberal Democrats, and the Scottish National Party, all of whom say the plan is unworkable or infringes civil liberties. The Conservative stance remains murky: some MPs have dismissed it as a gimmick, while others have suggested it could be a policy worth revisiting if it can command broad support. Starmer’s team portrays the compulsory ID as a defining, differentiating policy—an attempt to give shape to his administration and to create a tangible fault line with opponents.

The debate over digital ID is more than a technocratic dispute; it is a lens on Labour’s strategy as it fights to frame the next phase of its governing project. Administration officials argue that a functioning digital ID could streamline public services, curb illegal work, and reduce unauthorized migration, while critics argue it risks privacy and civil liberties or could create new friction for marginalized communities. In public messaging, Starmer has sought to connect the policy to a broader narrative about national renewal and responsible stewardship, a contrast with what he has described as a politics of grievance that benefits neither workers nor the economy. The government and its allies say the plan has the potential to reassert control over borders and labor markets, a priority that resonates with parts of the party base and with voters who want a clear, enforceable policy on immigration.

Amid the domestic fray, the global conference underscores a broader, shared challenge facing progressive movements around the world: how to respond to Reform UK and similar ideological strains while maintaining a credible, evidence-based policy platform. Labour officials and their international colleagues view the rise of Reform UK as part of a larger realignment that requires not just rhetorical opposition but practical, implementable ideas that can win broad support. The outcome in the coming months will test whether Starmer can translate the global frame into a coherent domestic program that can withstand internal friction and external pressure from opponents.

Observers note that the event’s purpose—uniting centre-left leaders to confront shared challenges—provides a stage for Starmer to project leadership and define the parameters of his premiership. The conference comes at a moment when Ballot-box dynamics, media scrutiny, and policy controversy are all converging in Westminster, amplifying the stakes for Starmer as he seeks to demonstrate executive resolve while defending his approach against a resurgent opposition. Whether the approach will persuade Labour MPs, win back skeptical voters, or harden divisions within the party remains uncertain, but the emphasis on a defined policy agenda and a global alignment signals the direction Starmer wants to set for the year ahead.