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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