Labour is gearing up to increase its attacks on Nigel Farage’s Reform UK over his party’s stance on Russia, as fresh polling makes clear that the public is strongly pro-Ukraine.
It comes amid growing animosity between Donald Trump and Volodymyr Zelensky over the White House’s attempts to negotiate a peace deal with Vladimir Putin.
As Reform rises in the polls, both Labour and the Tories have been grappling with how to tackle the threat posed by the party.
It is now understood that Labour is preparing to use Mr Farage’s previous comments about Russia against him as tensions over Ukraine grow.
In 2014, asked by GQ magazine which world leader he admired, Mr Farage said: “As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin.”
Last year, he told BBC Newsnight the EU and Nato provoked Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine by expanding eastwards and, more recently, the long-term Trump ally failed to condemn the US president after he labelled Mr Zelensky a dictator and called for elections in Ukraine last month.
While Mr Farage denied that the Ukrainian president is a dictator, he echoed the remarks in calling for a timeline for elections. Just days later, Putin himself demanded that Ukraine hold elections.
It’s understood that Labour intends to draw attention to similar comments in a fresh campaign against Reform.
But Mr Farage said there was “zero substance” in Labour’s plans to criticise Reform. He told The Independent it was “utter nonsense” and pointed out that Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice had previously delivered medical aid to Ukraine.
It comes after YouGov polling published in February found that the Russian president has a net approval rating with the British public of -85, making him the most unpopular global leader.
Among Reform UK voters, this rating is at -68. Volodymyr Zelensky, however, had an approval rating of plus 48.
The polling spoke to 2,216 adults between 16 and 17 February.
Luke Tryl, the executive director of the think tank More in Common, warned that Reform “is out of step with the public on Ukraine and Russia”.
“Seven out of 10 Brits say it is important to the UK that Ukraine wins the war. Similarly, Reform’s rise looked unstoppable in the election until Farage made his comments about Putin and Ukraine,” he told The Guardian.
The beginnings of the party’s new tactic were demonstrated last week when Sir Keir Starmer accused the Reform leader of “fawning over Putin” after he failed to show up for a debate on defence spending.
“Nigel Farage didn’t even turn up for the debate in parliament today. Nigel Farage is fawning over Putin. That’s not patriotism, that is not what working people need,” he told journalists in Parliament last week.
Just days later, five Labour MPs – Mike Tapp, Will Stone, Helena Dollimore, Fred Thomas and Paul Foster – wrote a joint article for The House magazine condemning Mr Farage and his colleagues for “parroting the Kremlin’s talking points”.
“Nigel Farage has openly stated that he admires Vladimir Putin. He has claimed that Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a consequence of EU and Nato expansion,” they said.
“Farage also repeated Putin’s demands last year that President Zelensky should hold elections before the conflict is over. This is openly parroting the Kremlin’s talking points.
“The truth is, we already know the timetable for elections in Ukraine. It’s after Russia withdraws its troops, and the war is finished.
“Regrettably, we are witnessing a malevolent influence creeping into our parliament – a group of MPs who reject British values, who seek division and who spew Putin’s propaganda.”
But addressing the Commons this week, Mr Tice said: “We at Reform stand united with the whole of this House in support of Ukraine and all brave Ukrainians against the monstrous tyranny of that most evil, evil villain, Putin.”
Both Labour and Reform UK have been contacted for comment.
