Labour need to win back workers. This is how | Neil Kinnock interview

Former Labour leader Neil Kinnock visits JOETowers to talk to Ava about the state of British politics, from Keir Starmer's handling of Reform UK, a wealth tax, populism on the left and right, and the death of the Tories.

Kinnock, who led Labour through the 1980s, offers a frank assessment of the current political landscape, and makes the case for a wealth taxes on the highest earners, arguing they are both economically necessary and morally vital to restoring a sense of fairness in a country “brushed off and left behind.” He calls for audacity in government, urging Rachel Reeves to shake off “Treasury shyness” and use taxation and public investment to rebuild trust and opportunity.

Turning to Reform, Kinnock warns that the far right thrives on grievance and neglect, preying on communities abandoned by decades of economic change. He tells Ava that the only way to defeat them is through tangible achievement and practical improvement in people’s lives, not slogans or culture-war rhetoric.

He also reflects on the dangers of populism, comparing the appeal of figures like Jeremy Corbyn and Nigel Farage, who both, he says, offered “simplistic answers to very complex problems.” Yet he insists that Labour must still inspire, not just manage decline.

As for the Tories, Kinnock makes a rare plea. For him, the British state loses when a sensible, forward-thinking Conservative Party contests with the ideas of a socially democratic Labour Party.

Like PoliticsJOE? We need your support: