London,UK – Labor leader Keir Starmer delivered a stark warning at a London summit today,urging politicians to directly challenge the “industrialised infrastructure of grievance” and demonstrably false narratives propagated by populist movements. starmer argued these falsehoods have “taken root in our societies,” distorting perceptions of countries, communities, and cities.
Addressing an international audience,Starmer subtly referenced recent criticisms of London by former U.S. President Donald Trump, who has repeatedly characterized the city as lawless and decaying. Trump, in a speech to the UN general Assembly on Tuesday, falsely claimed London’s current mayor, Sadiq Khan, seeks to implement sharia law. Starmer stated that such ”derogatory and incorrect comments…captures what we’re up against,” noting similar distortions exist globally.
The Labour leader condemned a recent large far-right demonstration in London as the “most poisonous” manifestation of this division, characterizing it as an attempt to incite “violent struggle for the nation.” He cautioned that history demonstrates the dangerous consequences of such rhetoric.
Starmer, who has faced internal party criticism for his initial response to the far-right march and the rise of reform UK’s policies – including proposed mass deportations - outlined a strategy of “patriotic renewal,” focused on delivering tangible results for voters rather than defending the status quo.
During a panel discussion, former Bank of England governor Mark Carney highlighted stagnant wage growth, noting that a similar situation hadn’t occurred as the mid-19th century, drawing a parallel to the conditions that inspired Karl Marx’s Communist Manifesto.Carney emphasized the necessity of delivering “real wage growth.”
Starmer also announced plans to introduce digital ID cards, explicitly linking the measure to border control and employment, stating, “You will not be able to work in the United Kingdom if you do not have digital ID. It’s as simple as that.”
