WORKERS have a crucial role in resisting the far right as it seeks to subvert public discourse, spread misinformation online and exploit economic hardship by scapegoating migrants and other marginalised communities, trade unions warned today. 

In a series of motions on tackling extremism of the right and the misogyny and racism it preaches, the TUC Congress reaffirmed its commitment to opposing the movement “wherever it appears.”

Usdaw general secretary Joanne Thomas said it was “terrifying” that the power and influence of far-right figures had spread globally, with their ideas becoming normalised and appearing in mainstream political debate.

On the recent surge of anti-immigration protests, Ms Thomas said: “Let’s be clear: these so-called protests have absolutely nothing to do with protecting women and girls. It's driven by racism and hatred.

“The far right spread fear and anxiety in our communities and in our workplaces. 

“They threaten lives and they threaten the values of unity and solidarity that our movement is based upon. 

“Millions of people are stuck in insecure, precarious work, where they feel like they don’t have a voice, because their union power has been crushed. 

“This leaves a space [where] the far right [are] exploiting fear, they’re exploiting a sense of injustice, and they are using it to grow in strength and popularity. 

“We know that ultimately the surest way to defeat them is by delivering decent jobs, good wages, strong and enforceable rights, well-funded public services, [and] decent homes.”

She said that, “now more than ever,” the Labour government must “make a plan to make work pay, deliver justice and equality for working people.” 

“What we can never do is try and out-reform Reform [and] pull mainstream politics even further to the right,” Ms Thomas said.

“Not only is it fundamentally wrong [and] against our values, but it makes the views appear acceptable.”

Adam Sutcliffe of teaching union the Educational Institute of Scotland also highlighted disappointment with the government, saying that the “political party that is supposed to represent our movement is guilty of political cowardice in the face of Reform UK.”

“Starmer must stop pandering to the racist [Reform leader Nigel] Farage and start implementing the policies that will help elevate working people from a decade and a half of Tory austerity,” he said. 

Other speakers and motions also highlighted how the far right were targeting young people and using misogyny as a tool for recruitment in a similar way to its scapegoating of migrants.

Pascale Frazer-Carroll of the Institute for Public Policy Research told a fringe meeting on organising young workers that many were fed up with the rising cost of living, leading to discontent and young men turning to online figures for support.

She said that Mr Farage and his ilk were “tapping into” increasingly popular online groups such as the incel movement, which blames women for men’s failures, to increase their following.