A group of around 45 Labour MPs from traditional strongholds in northern England and the Midlands have issued a stark warning to the government, calling for urgent action to reconnect with disillusioned voters following a poor showing in last week’s local elections.
The Labour Red Wall Group, led by Jo White, MP for Bassetlaw, said the results revealed a deep sense of disappointment among supporters, with growing unease over policy decisions such as cuts to winter fuel payments and proposed changes to disability benefits.
In a statement, the group urged Prime Minister Keir Starmer to break what they called the “disconnect” between Westminster and Red Wall constituencies. “Responding to the issues raised by our constituents, including on winter fuel, isn’t weak — it takes us to a position of strength,” they said.
The appeal follows a bruising set of election results for Labour, which lost two-thirds of the council seats it was defending in key areas and suffered a shock defeat to Reform UK in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where a 15,000-strong Labour majority was overturned by just six votes. Labour also lost control of councils in Durham and Doncaster, with Reform and the Greens making gains.
Although Labour reclaimed many Red Wall seats in its 2024 general election landslide, the latest results have raised fresh concerns over the party’s ability to hold onto these pivotal areas. The Red Wall Group has called on the government to reject “Treasury orthodoxy” and increase investment in post-industrial towns to address long-standing economic imbalances.
Former cabinet minister Louise Haigh, MP for Sheffield Heeley, added her voice to calls for change, warning that unpopular decisions such as slashing winter fuel support and disability benefits are “overshadowing the good ones.” She stopped short of demanding a full reversal of the cuts but called for an “economic reset” and higher taxes on the wealthiest as an alternative to austerity measures.
Welsh First Minister Eluned Morgan also urged the government to rethink its approach, warning that planned benefit cuts could alienate core voters further.
While the government has so far insisted it will not reverse course, critics within Labour say failing to act could lead to long-term damage. “Without Red Wall constituencies we are not the Labour Party,” the group warned. “The government has to act now before it’s too late.”
