Alexander: We’ll not make same mistakes as Tories in dealing with UKIP threat

Douglas Alexander will today give a speech on Britain and the EU. The issue has been curiously absent from Labour’s election campaign since the launch last Thursday, with no mention of the EU in new posters, leaflets or the Party Election Broadcast.

In today’s speech, Alexander, who is Labour’s election co-ordinator as well as Shadow Foreign Secretary, seems to seek to correct this. In it, he talks about Labour’s plans for a reform agenda in Brussels, including tightening restrictions on the freedom of movement, to “ensure that EU citizens seeking work here are expected to contribute to our economy, and to our society”.

He also reaffirms Labour’s stance on an EU referendum:

“a Labour government will legislate for a new lock: there would be no transfer of powers from the UK to the EU without a referendum on our continued membership of the EU.”

Possibly the most intriguing part of the speech, however, is the section devoted to neutralising the UKIP threat. Alexander notes the trouble the Tories have had, and promises Labour will not fall into the same trap will:

“Labour will not follow the Conservative Party’s approach of first ignoring, then insulting, and then imitating UKIP. Where Labour differs from the Conservatives is that we know our approach must not to try to be a better UKIP, but to be the Labour Party at its best.”

“Nigel Farage likes to say he is the only politician “keeping the flame of Thatcherism alive. UKIP’s policies towards working people are more Thatcherite than Lady Thatcher herself.”

Labour are clearly running with the strategy of painting UKIP as right wing Tories, hoping it will stem the tide of Labour switchers while reinforcing the convictions of ex-Tories.

But will it work?