London ¨C In the Labour stronghold of Hackney in east London, human rights lawyer Nadeshda Jayakody is one of many voters switching to the Green Party, a trend among urban progressives that could cost British Prime Minister Keir Starmer dearly in the capital.
As Starmer¡¯s Labour Party adopts tougher policies on issues like immigration in response to the rise of Nigel Farage¡¯s rightwing populist Reform U.K. party, it risks losing voters like Jayakody, for whom ?Labour had been a natural home. ¡°I just think the Greens align better with what I stand for,¡± said Jayakody, 34, who voted ?Labour in ?the 2024 general election.
¡°Labour is pandering towards the right, towards Reform, rather than trying to lead from the center ?or the left.¡± Local council elections in London on May 7 form part of a broader set of votes across Britain which could imperil Starmer¡¯s premiership.
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