Baroness Harman issues warning to Labour MPs who set up group over Reform UK threat

The Labour MPs who have set up a pressure group to counter the threat of Reform UK have been warned they risked promoting factionalism.

Baroness Harman, a former deputy leader of the Labour Party, said setting up the group was also “problematic” because it gave the impression that those involved did not believe the leadership was being effective on a particular issue.

Speaking on the Electoral Dysfunction podcast with Sky’s political editor Beth Rigby, the Labour peer said: “I think it’s problematic for two reasons.

“Firstly, because if you set up a group whose reason for formation is to press the government to do something, the implication is the government is not doing it.

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“And therefore, if you set up a group who’s wanting the government to be effective on immigration, then you’re immediately suggesting to your voters and your constituents that they’re right, that they’re thinking that the government is not doing enough. So I think it has the reverse effect than what they’re proposing it for.”

The informal cohort of Labour MPs who make up the new group is drawn from the 89 constituencies where Nigel Farage’s party came second to Labour at the July general election.

One of the MPs involved told Sky News it was an “important signal of where things are headed” and the members would shout about the need to do more on migration and for tangible local delivery.

“We’re a fearless bunch,” the MP said, adding the group were not afraid to “call a spade a spade”.

But Ms Harman, who represented the constituency of Camberwell and Peckham for nearly 40 years before standing down in 2021, said she was “worried about factions within government”.

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She highlighted how the previous Conservative government struggled with the “five families” of internal groups such as the Brexit-supporting European Research Group (ERG) and the Northern Research Group, which put pressure on the government to meet its manifesto commitment of levelling up the nations and regions.

“The point is, we don’t want regionalism,” she said. “We don’t want factionalism and all these different tribes.

“I think it’s fair enough to have a women’s group of Labour MPs, or a London Labour group of MPs, or a coastal town group of Labour MPs – but I think to set up a group with the idea that the government is somehow not delivering on what it should be, I think that that’s bad.”

She continued: “So my suggestion to….the Red wall group, is just be careful not to tip into anything that might look like factionalism.

“They’ve only just been elected as Labour MPs. They should support the government and, play their part in the parliamentary Labour Party – but don’t set up all these flipping groups.”