Anthony Scaramucci, centre, believes Sir Keir Starmer should be bolder in taking on Nigel Farage (Image: PA)
Sir Keir Starmer has been given a brutal warning by an ex-staffer for Donald Trump that Labour could lose to Nigel Farage unless the Prime Minister radically changes his approach. Anthony Scaramucci raised millions of dollars for the US president’s first election campaign in 2016 before becoming his White House director of communications.
He was fired after just 11 days when he slammed colleagues in a conversation he wrongly thought was off the record – and has since turned his fire on Mr Trump to become one of his biggest critics. His ringside seat in the first Trump administration has given Mr Scaramucci an insight into the rise of populists – and he believes he knows why Mr Farage and Reform UK have soared in the polls. “I think the rise of these types of populist leaders usually stem from a failure of their opposition,” Mr Scaramucci told the Express.
Read more: Trump fired me after 11 days – he’s reckless but I admire 1 thing about him
Reform UK’s rise in the polls has coincided with a difficult first 18 months for Labour in office, with the Government battered over cutting winter fuel payments for pensioners and slapping inheritance tax on farmers.
Mr Farage has repeatedly slammed Labour’s approach to controlling both legal and illegal migration, with the Home Office struggling to stop small boat crossings in the Channel.
Following pressure from Reform UK, Labour has also pledged to bring down net legal migration from 431,000 last year.
According to the latest YouGov opinion poll, Reform is now on 27%, compared to Labour’s 20% and the Conservatives and Liberal Democrats on 17% and 16% respectively.
Mr Farage’s surging popularity has caused sharp divisions. Some Tories think they should cut a deal with Reform, while others criticise Sir Keir for talking up Mr Farage as his main opponent.
But Mr Scaramucci, who now hosts the Rest is Politics US podcast with British-Swiss journalist Katty Kay, said of Mr Farage: “It’s important to take his movement seriously. If you’re not taking his movement seriously, I think it’s dangerous.
“I don’t know the Starmer administration as well as you, but if someone was asking me, I would say ‘you’ve got to take more risks. You could lose to a guy like this’.
“I think that would be very bad for Britain long term.”
