Balance of Power

The Struggle to Keep Britain United

While Reform UK soars at Starmer’s expense, Scots and Welsh voters are backing left-wing nationalists.

UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer in London on Dec. 1.Photographer: Tolga Akmen/EPA/Bloomberg

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By Alan Crawford

January 15, 2026 at 11:00 AM UTC

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Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s plans for mandatory digital IDs were always going to run into opposition, not least from the populist Reform UK party led by Nigel Farage.