By Andrew MacAskill

BERLIN (Reuters) – British Prime Minister Keir Starmer has expressed concern about the growing threat posed by far-right groups in the United Kingdom and called on progressive political parties across Europe to work together to tackle the common challenge.

Xenophobic riots broke out in Britain earlier this month after a fatal knife attack at a children’s dance class was followed by false claims, amplified by far-right forces, that the attacker was a Muslim asylum seeker.

Visiting Germany on Wednesday, where the anti-immigration Alternative for Germany (AfD) party is enjoying strong membership growth, Starmer said populism could be defeated by making people feel better and promised that life in Britain would improve before the end of his first term.

“We should be conscious in the UK of the challenge posed by right-wing extremism, populism and nationalism,” he told reporters. “There are a number of reasons for my concern, partly because of what is happening in the UK, partly because of what is happening in other European countries, including France and Germany.”

Starmer’s centre-left Labour party won a landslide election victory in early July, in contrast to recent gains by the far right in Europe. But anti-immigration unrest has already led to his first major crisis.

British police have arrested more than 1,160 people in connection with the riots, which have included violence, arson and looting, as well as racist attacks on Muslims and migrants.

Starmer promised to fight the far right and the “snake oil of populism and nationalism” and said he would speak honestly about the country’s problems and how to solve them.

However, this task is made even more difficult by the backdrop of a cost-of-living crisis and a deterioration in public services.

On Tuesday, Starmer warned that his government’s budget statement in October would be “painful” and urged people to accept “short-term pain for long-term gain”.

Speaking to reporters during a trip aimed at repairing Britain’s frayed relations with one of its European allies, he said it was a “tough message” but a necessary one.

He again compared Britain to a house that needs more than just cosmetic repairs, saying it must “get rid of the damp and the cracks first” before it can be renovated.

“This is actually a project of hope, but you have to do the hard work and do the difficult things first,” he said.

(Reporting by Andrew MacAskill; Editing by David Holmes)