TUC leader: Sir Keir Starmer must tackle cost of living crisis to counter 'real danger' of Reform

TUC leader: Sir Keir Starmer must tackle cost of living crisis to counter 'real danger' of Reform The TUC boss has warned the government must put money in workers' pockets to avoid them backing Reform, which he called a "dead end". Image:The trade union boss has warned working people will turn to Nigel Farage if the government doesn't deliver for them. Pic: PA Image:Anti-immigration activist Tommy Robinson (Stephen Yaxley-Lennon) is another person Mr Nowak fears working people may turn to. Pic: PA Image:Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner and Wes Streeting are all considered potential frontrunners in any race to replace Sir Keir Starmer. Pic: PA Saturday 27 December 2025 00:50, UK Sir Keir Starmer must tackle the cost of living crisis in 2026 or risk a further surge in support for Nigel Farage, the boss of Britain's trade unions has warned. Paul Nowak has told Sky News that many voters are disillusioned with mainstream politics because change is not coming fast enough. In a hard-hitting New Year message, his organisation - the Trades Union Congress (TUC) - has published research showing many people are skipping meals, cutting back on heating and feeling financially worse off. Unveiling a joint TUC and 38 Degrees study by pollsters Survation, the TUC general secretary told Sky News: "The cost-of-living crisis may no longer be in newspaper headlines every day, but lots of ordinary people are struggling to get by. "One in three are not turning on the heating because they're worried about paying those bills at the end of the month. "One in five are skipping meals and a whopping 80% of people say that their finances aren't getting better. "That's why the government has to absolutely focus on driving up people's living standards. "We saw some moves towards that in the budget this year: help to tackle heating bills, raising the minimum wage, holding down train fares, and crucially, lifting that two-child benefit cap. "But the government really does need to focus this year on putting more money in people's pockets." Mr Nowak also told Sky News the government faces a "real danger" from people "who are disillusioned with mainstream politics, who feel that change isn't coming and isn't coming fast enough". He added: "That's what they voted for at the last general election and why the government has to be absolutely focused on not just growing the economy, but growing the economy in a way that puts money in people's pockets. "And if they don't, then there's real danger that the far and populist right, Nigel Farage and the likes of Tommy Robinson, the politics of division, the politics of fear and the politics of despair, will take hold. "We need to give people hope." Asked if Labour should replace Sir Keir Starmer with Andy Burnham, Angela Rayner or Wes Streeting, Mr Nowak responded: "It's not my job to play cabinet Top Trumps. "My job is to make sure that whoever is in Number 10 is delivering for working people and their communities."...

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