A potential alliance between the Conservative Party and Reform UK poses a significant threat in the upcoming general election, Eddie Dempsey, general secretary of the Rail, Maritime and Transport (RMT) union, stated Monday.
Dempsey urged trade unions to develop a new strategy to counter this burgeoning political alignment, speaking at the annual trade union gathering in Brighton. He suggested the current political landscape presents a 'different prospect' compared to the 1930s, a period marked by the rise of Oswald Mosley and his Blackshirts in Britain.
'What we're looking at is not Mosely and the black shirts,' Dempsey stated. 'What we're looking at is an alliance between Reform and the oldest ruling party in Western Europe, the Tories. That's the real danger: a political alliance which brings these people into Parliament.'
He further elaborated on the evolving nature of the threat, noting a 'burgeoning street movement' on the fringes of this alliance that may be adopting organizational techniques from paramilitary groups. This, he argued, necessitates a distinct approach from past efforts to combat far-right movements.
'There's a difference between dealing with the National Front and all of that that happened on the streets, and dealing with the prospect of an alliance between a socially right, economically Thatcherite far-right political alliance between the Tory Party – the oldest ruling party in Western Europe – and Nigel Farage,' Dempsey explained. He also highlighted the influence of financial backing from 'crypto billionaires' as a factor that must be considered.
Dempsey's remarks come amidst calls from some quarters for a united front on the Right to prevent a left-wing victory. However, a recent poll suggests that while a third of Britons would consider tactical voting, left-wing voters are significantly more inclined to do so than right-wing voters. Conservative voters, in particular, appear more willing to consider tactical votes for the Liberal Democrats over Reform UK.
Luke Tryl, head of the polling firm More in Common, commented on the trend, stating, 'Tactical voting has begun to play a more decisive role in our politics. Across by-elections... we have seen ruthless tactical consolidation against Reform, with the right struggling to build tactical coalitions in the same way. Our research confirms this shift.'