Keir Starmer has revealed to friends that the “Unite the Kingdom” march in London was the moment he realised he needed to publicly fight back against Reform UK and the growing anti-immigration rhetoric in Britain.
The prime minister is understood to have expressed his shock at the size of the event, which took place earlier this month, after seeing “that many people follow a far-right figure like Tommy Robinson”.
The march in Whitehall and the surrounding streets, which amplified racism and anti-Muslim conspiracy theories, was estimated by police to have attracted around 150,000 people.
Far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, told his followers in a video posted to X that “the spark has started, the revolution is on”, while tech billionaire Elon Musk told the rally that “massive uncontrolled migration” was contributing to the “destruction of Britain”.
Allies said the march was the turning point when Sir Keir decided he needed to come out and launch a fightback against the rhetoric “that has become too common place” in Britain – and has become one of Reform’s defining narratives. Nigel Farage was not in attendance at the march and has not publicly endorsed it.
The prime minister was said to be spurred on again to take on the pervasive language in society after Mr Farage threatened to deport legal migrants and withdraw benefits from them.
One cabinet minister said: “I think Keir was fed up of always being on the defensive and needed to go on the offensive.”
Another senior minister noted that intelligence agencies had picked up both Russian and Chinese political interference associated with the march through social media bots.
The minister added: “What concerned me was I saw thousands upon thousands of ordinary people from Essex, Sussex, Hertfordshire and around the country taking part.”
The prime minister is said to have known he had to do something – which led to his barnstorming speech on Friday and subsequent Labour conference BBC interview describing Farage and Reform’s policy to scrap indefinite leave to remain as “racist”.
“It was a deliberate going on the front foot,” another minister confirmed. “No more messing about.”
It is understood that, after the march, the prime minister and colleagues received thousands of messages from people reacting with anger and fear to the march, a well as to Mr Farage’s plans on migrants.
“It was disgusting,” a source close to the PM said. “Illegal migrants is one issue but it is clear that Reform is coming after our friends, families, neighbours. How can you say that sort of thing to someone who has worked in the NHS for 10 years as anurse? A line has been crossed [by Farage].”
In particular, a communication from a man of Pakistani heritage born and raised in the UK describing his fear of walking through Euston station in London on his way home struck a chord with the PM..
It is understood Sir Keir will not let up on his new lines of attack on Reform and will continue the theme in his conference speech on Tuesday.
“You are going to hear a lot more on this line,” a minister noted.
During an interview with the BBC on Sunday, Sir Keir accused Mr Farage of peddling a “racist” and “immoral” policy after the Reform UK leader pledged to scrap settled status for all non-EU migrants, a move which would threaten with deportation those who have been granted indefinite leave to remain.
Speaking at the Labour Party conference on Monday, Rachel Reeves doubled down on Sir Keir’s claims, adding that Mr Farage’s agenda is the “single greatest threat to our way of life and to the living standards of working people”.
She argued patriotism is “not measured in how quick you are to exclude, how loudly you shout, how willing you are to exploit every division and distort every challenge that we face”.
The chancellor added that she will “fight” for British values.
