Labour must target deprived areas or lose out to Reform, says former minister

Peer argues that national trickledown' approach will fail to benefit those in most need

Keir Starmer's government must strictly target the delivery of its core missions" at areas of maximum deprivation or lose huge numbers of votes to Nigel Farage's Reform UK, an independent commission led by a former Labour cabinet minister will suggest this week.

The Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods (ICON), chaired by Labour peer Hilary Armstrong, a former party chief whip and housing minister, will say the government risks wasting billions of pounds in higher public spending while failing to transform the places that need it most" unless it adopts the targeted approach.