Keir Starmer insists he 'gets' voter anger after Reform seize Runcorn & Helsby

Keir Starmer insisted he 'gets' voter anger today after Nigel Farage triggered a political earthquake by seizing Runcorn & Helsby in a dramatic by-election. The PM said he wanted to go 'further and faster on the change that people want to see' as 'disappointing' results show a huge Reform surge. But speaking on a visit to Bedfordshire he insisted that decisions such as hiking national insurance, cutting winter fuel allowance for pensioners and curbing benefits were 'tough but right'. The reaction came as Labour threatened to plunge into civil war over the growing threat from Reform.