If Labour is to beat Reform, we must show we are the party of British values

‘You need to break eggs to make an omelette,’ says Labour MP Mike Tapp, as he explains why the government’s tough approach on the NHS, welfare reform and Russia comes from an appreciation of what makes the country special

I grew up in a family built on British values, on service, duty and hard work.

My grandfather hunted Nazi U-boats before becoming a Colman’s Mustard salesman. My father dedicated his career to policing, while my mother cared for the vulnerable, ensuring dignity and respect for those in need. At 20, I joined the Intelligence Corps, serving in Iraq and Afghanistan, before tackling criminals with the National Crime Agency and later working in counterterrorism to defend Britain’s democracy and security.

British values are not abstract to me – they are what I have fought for.

We defend these values not with slogans, but with action. That means rejecting the extremities of politics and focusing on what truly makes Britain great: democracy, the rule of law, respect, firmness, decency and opportunity.

British values are mirrored by our armed forces, who embody discipline, professionalism and a commitment to protecting those who cannot defend themselves.

Strength matters, but let’s be clear; leadership without decency is weakness, something we see at both ends of the extremes. True leadership is knowing when to stand firm and when to show diplomacy. It is understanding that decency is not a weakness but a necessity.

For more than a century, these values have guided our democracy. Britain has always rejected extremism. When the far right threatened our democratic values in the 1930s, we defeated them. When the hard left rejected economic responsibility in the 1980s, we rejected them. Today, Britain again needs competence over ideology, fairness over division, and leadership over chaos.

This is why mainstream, centrist politics has always won out in the end. Britain is not a country seduced by radicalism – it is a country that demands action, fairness and results. British values are rejected on the extremities. They thrive in and around the centre.

At every turning point in history, when Britain has needed strong, responsible government, it has found it. And when leadership has required firmness with decency, we have seen it in action.

One of the greatest examples of this leadership was Mo Mowlam’s role in the Northern Ireland peace process. Facing a fragile ceasefire, she took the bold and risky decision to walk into the Maze Prison, persuading loyalist paramilitaries to stay in the peace talks. It was a courageous, unconventional move, but she won respect by listening, speaking plainly, and refusing to be intimidated. She proved that real leadership is not just about being tough – it is about being fair, firm and decent.

The secretary of state for work and pensions, Liz Kendall, echoed this on Tuesday, saying: “I am not interested in being tough. This is about real people with real lives.”

Britain needs leaders who act – not just talk. Leaders who make the tough calls with the right values at heart. That is what Keir Starmer is delivering.

Yet we have seen a breakdown in British values in parts of our parliament – disturbing and unacceptable. Nigel Farage has fawned over Putin, wrapping himself in our great flag while proving he is no patriot – just a political opportunist, forever waiting to see which way the wind blows.

The Reform party's confusion over Volodymyr Zelensky’s decision not to hold elections while at war – just as Winston Churchill did – further exposes their abandonment of British values, which is sad to see on our precious green benches.

But this betrayal does not stop with Reform. The Conservative Party has also turned its back on British values, joining Reform in voting against the Employment Rights Bill legislation that ensures fair pay and protections for workers, restoring balance in our economy so that those who contribute to Britain get the respect they deserve.

They also voted against the Border Security, Asylum and Immigration Bill, which brings counter-terror powers into the fight to secure our borders. Labour’s approach to immigration is another example of strength with decency – deporting record numbers who shouldn’t be here while ensuring we help those in genuine need.

Nowhere is the need for strong, responsible government clearer than in the NHS. This Labour government is delivering record investment and taking bold steps to fix the system, ripping up the bloated bureaucracy of NHS England. Sometimes you need to break eggs to make an omelette.

The NHS is currently both overmanaged and poorly managed by an opaque and poorly coordinated bureaucracy. Reforming the NHS is clear; cut out duplication, have clearer management lines, cut staffing and admin costs. Taxpayers are paying more and getting less – this must change.

Yet again, Nigel Farage abandons British values, pushing for an insurance-based system that would undermine our NHS – one of our greatest national institutions.

Now is not the time for division or ideology. Britain needs leadership with decency, fairness with responsibility.

Britain does not flinch in the face of challenges. And today, neither does this Labour government.

That is why, once again, Britain will stand strong.

Mike Tapp is Labour MP for Dover and Deal