Left Foot Forward

Left Foot Forward was established in 2009 by Will Straw with the aim of delivering impactful news and commentary, created by and for those on the left in the UK.

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Muslim representative body criticises Reform for using ‘hate to gain headlines’ with burqa ban comments

1 day ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

The Muslim Council of Britain, the largest body representing British Muslims, has criticised Reform UK for using “hate to gain headlines” with its recent comments calling for a burqa ban. At PMQs on Wednesday, Sarah Pochin asked the prime minister whether he would ban the burqa “in the interests of public safety”. Pochin, who narrowly won the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, faced criticism for asking a divisive question, instead of raising an issue that could help her constituents.
Hamilton by-election winner Labour’s Davy Russell hits out at “poison of Reform”

1 day ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Despite polling third behind the SNP and Reform in recent weeks, Labour pulled off a shock upset by winning the Hamilton, Larkhall and Stonehouse by-election yesterday. Davy Russell, the constituency’s newly elected Member of the Scottish Parliament, used his acceptance speech to send a strong message to Reform. He first said that local people had been let down by the SNP, before saying: “This community has also sent a message to Farage and his mob tonight.
Billionaire Reform UK treasurer under pressure to deliver on donation promises

1 day ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Reform UK plunged into turmoil last night as chair Zia Yusuf and tech entrepreneur Nathaniel Fried, a member of its new Department of Government Efficiency (Doge), resigned over the party’s burqa ban policy. Meanwhile, pressure is piling on the party’s treasurer Nick Candy to deliver on his donation promises.
‘Where’s your boat, Nigel?’: Hope not Hate asks why Reform leader has failed to declare commercial fishing vessel in register of interests

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Basit Mahmood

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage’s register of interests is once more under scrutiny, with questions being raised about why his commercial fishing vessel has not been included. Anti-extremist campaign group Hope not Hate has highlighted how on 23 April, during an interview with GB News, Farage unexpectedly announced that he is “heavily invested” in fishing, as the owner of a commercial fishing vessel.
Liz Truss responds furiously to Mel Stride criticising her disastrous mini-budget

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Liz Truss is not happy about the shadow chancellor disowning her disastrous mini-budget. Truss blamed Mel Stride’s criticisms of her infamous 2022 mini-budget, which included £45 billion of unfunded tax cuts, on him being “a creature of the system”. In a speech today, Stride said that “mistakes were made” in the shortest serving Conservative prime minister’s mini budget, and that “fiscal credibility and responsibility was absent”.
Humiliation for Badenoch as less than half of Tory voters say she is likely to still be leader at next general election

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Basit Mahmood

It’s going from bad to worse for Tory leader Kemi Badenoch as her party members as well as Tory voters continue to lose faith in her. The Tory party has fallen into irrelevance amid the rise of Reform UK, with Keir Starmer declaring Reform as his main opposition, saying the Conservatives have “run out of road”.
Reform chair calls Sarah Pochin’s burqa ban question at PMQs “dumb”

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Reform UK chair Zia Yusuf has made it clear that banning the burqa is not official party policy, and that he disagreed with Sarah Pochin’s burqa ban question at PMQs. At PMQs yesterday, Pochin asked the prime minister if he would ban the burqa “in the interests of public safety”. Her question was met with audible groans from across the chamber. In a post on X, Yusuf said he had no idea Reform’s newest MP would ask Keir Starmer about banning the burqa at PMQs and described the question as “dumb”.
Labour extends free school meals to 500,000 more children

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Basit Mahmood

The Labour government is extending free school meals to a further 500,000 children, with any child in England whose parents receive Universal Credit able to claim free school meals from September 2026. The rule changes, as part of the Labour government’s policy to lift children out of poverty, will save parents around £500 a year. The move will lift 100,000 children out of poverty, according to the Department for Education.
Reform threatens to cut council workers’ pensions while amassing big pension pots for themselves

2 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Olivia Barber

Richard Tice has announced that new employees at councils controlled by Reform UK will get less generous pensions, and called defined benefit pension schemes “an outrage”. The party has also suggested that existing staff in the Local Government Pension Scheme (LGPS) would receive smaller pay rises to offset their “generous” pensions. Earlier this week, Reform launched its Elon Musk-inspired Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE)-style team aimed at making efficiencies at a local council level.
Winter fuel payments to be reinstated this year, Chancellor Rachel Reeves confirms

3 days ago | leftfootforward.org | Basit Mahmood

Chancellor Rachel Reeves has confirmed that some winter fuel payments will be reinstated in time for this winter, after Prime Minister Keir Starmer said he wanted to widen the threshold for winter fuel support. The decision to means-test the previously universal payment, worth up to £300 to help cover energy costs, was one of the first announcements made by the chancellor after Labour’s landslide election victory last year.