Labour accused of 'pretending to be Reform' with Facebook ads

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Reform recently topped a national opinion poll for the first time. Credit: PA

Labour has been accused of "pretending to be Reform" by a senior MP after it paid for anti-migration adverts on social media which appear to mimic the style of Nigel Farage's party.

A series of adverts boasting about the number of deportations carried out since Labour took office have appeared on Facebook, however they bare no mention of the party's logo or iconic shade of red.

Instead, they use the turquoise colour scheme of Reform UK. With a "breaking news" heading, one reads: "Labour hits five-year high in migrant removals.

"Labour government removes a record 16,400 illegal migrants since taking power including 2,580 foreign criminals."

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This advert, paid for by Yorkshire and the Humber Labour Party, has appeared on Facebook.
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The ads were paid for by regional Labour branches. Facebook pages sharing news about Labour's action on illegal migration have also appeared, without clear party branding.

One, run by the Yorkshire and the Humber Labour Party and also using Reform's colour scheme, is called UK Migration Updates.

Political parties mimicking each other is nothing new in the United Kingdom, with both Labour and the Conservatives known to have done it in the past. But this appears to be the first time Labour has imitated Reform.

It comes amid worry among supporters of the two main parties about the rise of Reform. The party, whose main policy is to cut migration, topped a national opinion poll for the first time this week, albeit marginally.

Diane Abbott, the former shadow home secretary, shared an article about the adverts on X, writing: "Horrific. We think that we can win votes pretending to be Reform?"

Reform UK Deputy Leader Richard Tice said the ads show Labour is "panicking", while a party spokesperson said: “Labour are failing Britain, and they know people are waking up to the fact that Reform UK are the only party that will stop mass immigration.

“Reform is leading the polls and offering hope to millions of British people after decades of Tory and Labour mismanagement. Britain needs Reform.”

ITV News has contacted the Labour Party for a response.

A Labour source accused both Reform and the Conservatives of using "weasel words" on migration "while this Labour government gets on with fixing the asylum system, which the Tories broke".

They added: "We intend to let the public know about our Plan for Change through every available channel. It’s already seen thousands of people with no right to be here removed from Britain and tough new border security measures to reduce small boat crossings."

Reform tops national poll for first time

Reform UK came top in the YouGov poll with 25% support, compared with Labour on 24% and the Conservatives with 21%.

The polling company said the one-point lead is within the margin of error. The party also recently topped a national opinion poll by Find Out Now, with 26% support.

The party returned five MPs in July’s general election but came second in 98 constituencies. Despite the apparent surge in popularity since then, it is not clear Reform could win a majority in the next general election.

If YouGov's poll results were replicated at an election, Reform could win 256 seats, putting it 70 short of a majority, according to prediction tool Electoral Calculus.

But the chairman of Reform UK, Zia Yusuf, has predicted the party could win “350 to 400 Members of Parliament” at the next general election, which is expected in four years.

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