Labour will challenge Farage over 'softness on Putin'

Labour is setting out to increase its attacks on Nigel Farage's Reform UK party over its stance on Russia, as polling and focus groups show the public are firmly pro-Ukraine and opposed to Vladimir Putin.

- Rowena Mason

One cabinet source said Labour was planning to "take the fight" to Reform on the issue of the war in Ukraine and the NHS after "waking up" to the party's "softness on standing up to Putin".

All the main parties have been grappling since the election with how to halt the momentum behind Farage's insurgency, with Reform often tying or narrowly ahead of Labour and the Tories in opinion polls.

However, Labour and the SNP have been increasing their criticism of Farage in particular over Russia in the last week, first for his claim last year that it had been provoked into war with Ukraine, and second for his 2014 statement that Putin was the world leader he most admired.

Keir Starmer accused Farage of "fawning over Putin" in an unusually direct jibe last weekend, while the SNP leader in Westminster, Stephen Flynn, accused Reform MPs of being "Putin's poodles" after most of them did not turn up to major parliamentary debates on defence and security.

In response, Farage said the prime minister appeared to be "terribly upset" and "scared" of him.