'Farage surge makes Starmer's EU push more important than ever,' UK minister tells Euronews

Published on 12/05/2026 - 11:29 GMT+2

UK Minister for Europe Stephen Doughty said Prime Minister Keir Starmer has “accepted responsibility” for Labour’s disastrous section predetermination results, portion accusing the hard-right Reform UK enactment of misleading voters with “false promises”.

Speaking connected Euronews greeting amusement Europe Today, Doughty blamed Reform UK person Nigel Farage for promoting what helium described arsenic unrealistic claims astir Brexit.

“He said Brexit would marque america richer — it hasn’t. He said it would bring down migration. In fact, migration went up,” Doughty told Euronews.

Reform added much than 1,300 assembly seats crossed England and made advances successful devolved elections successful Wales and Scotland, portion Labour mislaid much than 1,100 section seats and surrendered power of councils it had held for decades.

Facing mounting unit from wrong his ain party, Starmer vowed connected Monday to beryllium Labour’s “doubters” incorrect and promised to “face up to the large challenges” confronting the country.

Doughty acknowledged elector frustration, saying galore radical inactive felt nether fiscal unit amid planetary instability and rising vigor costs.

“People are inactive feeling the pinch successful their pocket,” helium said. “We arsenic a authorities person to beryllium seen to beryllium responding to that.”

Despite Labour’s setbacks, Starmer has continued to propulsion for person practice with the European Union, arguing that Britain indispensable fortify ties with European partners connected security, defence and the economy.

“This is thing little than a conflict for the psyche of our nation,” Starmer said successful a code pursuing the predetermination results.

Doughty defended the government’s European strategy, insisting the UK indispensable enactment much intimately with allies “in what is simply a precise turbulent world” up of the adjacent UK-EU summit, expected successful summertime 2026.

While Starmer has ruled retired rejoining the EU, the customs national oregon the azygous market, the UK has progressively aligned itself with Brussels connected overseas and information policy.

Last week, the UK and EU confirmed discussions implicit imaginable British enactment for the bloc’s €90 cardinal indebtedness bundle for Ukraine successful its warfare against Russia.

Doughty rejected suggestions Britain’s information amounted to “pay to play”, describing it alternatively arsenic “a strategical investment” successful European security.

He said the UK government’s £1.2 cardinal (€1.38 million) committedness to efforts aimed astatine locating and returning abducted Ukrainian children taken during Russia’s full-scale invasion.

“That’s the astir heinous portion of this,” Doughty said, accusing Moscow of attempting to erase Ukrainian culture, connection and identity.