Act now to win back Red Wall voters, Labour MPs say

A group of around 45 Labour MPs have called on the government to “act now” to win back voters in northern England and the Midlands.

The Labour Red Wall Group, which represents areas which have traditionally supported the party, said it was not “weak” to respond to issues raised by the public, including concern over axing winter fuel payments for millions of pensioners.

Calls to rethink the move and other policies including cuts to disability benefits have been growing after a disastrous set of local election results for Labour last week.

On Tuesday the government insisted it would not reverse the winter fuel cuts and it would not be “blown off course” by the “disappointing” results.

Labour lost two-thirds of the seats it was defending in council elections across England, as well as a by-election in Runcorn and Helsby.

Reform UK overturned a majority of nearly 15,000 to take the Cheshire seat by just six votes.

In areas like Durham and Doncaster, Labour lost seats to Reform, allowing Nigel Farage’s party to take control of the council.

On the left, the party also shed votes to the Greens.

However, Reform, which also seized control of eight councils from the Conservatives, was the big winner of the night and the results have intensified calls for the government to focus on the threat from the party.

In a statement the Red Wall Group, led by Jo White, the MP for Bassetlaw in Nottinghamshire, said that in the results “our voters told us loudly and clearly that we have not met their expectations”.

They said Sir Keir Starmer’s response that he would “go further and faster” in delivering his plans had “fallen on deaf ears”.

“Responding to the issues raised by our constituents, including on winter fuel, isn’t weak it takes us to a position of strength,” the statement added.

“[The prime minister] must now break the disconnect between Westminster and the Red Wall areas.”

The group also called for the government to “breakaway from Treasury orthodoxy” to ensure post-industrial towns “get the investment we desperately need”.

“Labour cannot afford to lose the Red Wall again as it reopens the route to a future of opposition and an existential crisis. Without Red Wall constituencies we are not the Labour Party,” they said.

“The government has to act now before it’s too late.”

Responding to the local election results over the weekend, Sir Keir said he shared the “fury” felt by voters turning away from the major parties.

The PM insisted he would “go further and faster” in delivering Labour’s promises to improve public services, as well as tackle immigration and cost-of-living pressures.