'Red wall' MPs fear Reform resurgence

THERE was plenty to ponder for Keir Starmer as he assembled his cabinet on Friday morning, amid new warnings from the Bank of England about an expected slowdown in the economic growth that he was pinning his hopes on.

- By ROB PARSONS

And, after a tough first few months in government, Labour MPs in the North are seemingly getting increasingly worried about the electoral threat of Nigel Farage's resurgent Reform UK.

Dozens of Labour MPs have set up an internal group to focus on the threat posed by Reform, which this week topped a national opinion poll (pushing Labour into second place) and came in second ahead of the Tories in a host of Northern seats at last July's election.

One member of the group, representing a so-called 'red wall' seat in the North, told the PA news agency that a key area of concern was that Chancellor Rachel Reeves' push for economic growth has been focused too heavily on wealthier areas in the South.