Nigel Farage and Reform UK are on course to make gains in England’s “left behind” neighbourhoods, Sir Keir Starmer has been warned. Poor schools, bad housing and a lack of good jobs mean voters are looking for an alternative to traditional parties, according to a think tank with links to Labour.

Residents are particularly worried about litter, antisocial behaviour and drug dealing. The warning came in a new report from the Independent Commission on Neighbourhoods, chaired by Hilary Armstrong, who served as Tony Blair’s chief whip. She said: “The world is very different to when I served in the last Labour government. Covid, austerity, Brexit are just some of the things that have affected people’s lives, for good or ill. But too many people in our country still experience crime, unemployment, poverty.

“For too long, we have seen people living in places where there are few opportunities and little support for them to produce their best and fulfil their potential.”

Others involved in the commission include Kim McGuinness, Labour Mayor of the North-east region.

A sense that things are getting worse is helping Reform, the report stated. It said: “People who say they plan to vote for Reform UK, people aged 55-64 and those that only have a GCSE or equivalent qualification are more likely to say that their neighbourhoods have changed for the worst.”

Eight of the 10 parliamentary constituencies defined by the report as most in need are in the Midlands or the North of England, with Labour-held Blackpool South topping the list. The remaining two are in Clacton, which is represented by Mr Farage, and Labour-held Isle of Wight East.

The remaining eight constituencies include seats in Birmingham, Liverpool, Bradford and Sheffield. They also include Wolverhampton South East, which is held by Cabinet minister Pat McFadden.

Polling found that nearly two-thirds of people think life in their area has got worse in the last 10 years – and four in 10 say central Government is to blame.

The Government was urged to target measures to improve the quality of life in neighbourhoods that need it most, rather than relying on high-profile national schemes designed to deliver its goals.

The report said: “The danger is that Government will seek broad-national scale interventions to deliver the missions, but resource is not adequately targeted towards those areas with the greatest need, leading to a lack of progress in delivering the missions.”