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This essay is about Nigel Farage, and his party Reform UK.
Among Farage’s opponents, it is all the rage today to accuse him and the party of
being fascist. If not also racist and anti-semitic.
The first wave of accusations came in 2013, and concerned
incidents from the early 1980s. The story seems to be that, while in 1981 Farage
was being considered to be made a prefect at school, one teacher wrote a letter
to the headmaster, accusing him of all manner of things. This story was picked
up by a Channel 4 news reporter, who accused him of having held “neo-Fascist
views” and shouted Hitler Youth songs during his schooldays. It was later
repeated in a 2022 book by the same reporter.
Singing rowdy songs is a perfectly normal thing for
schoolboys to do. I did it myself! Ours were rugby songs, not political ones. But
they would have enraged today’s politically correct prudes just as much as
anything nazi propagandists could have penned. That said, Nigel Farage was an
army cadet while at school; and their conduct is notorious.
As to him having ever had neo-fascist views, I have not
managed to find any substantive evidence of such a thing. The only sane verdict,
then, has to be “not proven.”
Recent developments
Beginning in September 2025, there was more of the same.
The timing was, perhaps, not unconnected with a poll which had just shown
Reform with 35% of the vote share nationally. It began with Zack Polanski,
Green party leader, declaiming: “Fascism is at our doorstep – we’ve seen that
with Nigel Farage’s press conferences.” It was followed up by deputy prime
minister David Lammy, who accused Farage of “flirting with the Hitler Youth.” A
claim backed up by nothing but the same old 2013 story. Lammy later retracted
it.
Things started to heat up in November. There is a
timeline, here: [[i]].
Initially, the allegations were made almost entirely by the Guardian. Later on,
the BBC, ITV and the Morning Star joined in. The whole thing was, clearly,
choreographed. Then Keir Starmer got in on the act, calling Farage “spineless.”
Again, it was all about what (may or may not have)
happened back in 1981, 45 years ago. The accusations this time were not being fascist
per se, nor even singing nazi songs, but racism and anti-semitism.
Moving the goalposts, no? And even those who have exceptional memories will be untrustworthy
after such a long time.
The Attorney General, Lord Hermer, then demanded that
Farage apologize for his anti-semitism. This was a typical political catch-22
ploy. He’d be damned if he did it, yet open to more harassment if he didn’t. We
the people can see through that kind of crap nowadays.
Then, in early January, culture secretary Lisa Nandy, when
asked on air by Trevor Phillips if a Farage-led government would be fascist, eventually
answered: “If it walks like a duck, and quacks like a duck, in my experience,
it usually is a duck.”
What do fascists do?
If I didn’t know what a duck was, and had to work out
whether an animal was a duck or not, I’d have to start by finding out what
ducks do. Then I could judge the animal by comparing what it does with
the actions to be expected of a duck. I call this “judgement by behaviour.”
So, what do fascists do, as and when they get government
power? Says Britannica: they show “extreme militaristic nationalism, contempt
for electoral democracy and political and cultural liberalism, a belief in
natural social hierarchy and the rule of élites, and the desire to create a community in which
individual interests would be subordinated to the good of the nation.”
They oppose Marxism and socialism, even though there are
strong similarities between fascist régimes
and communist ones. They oppose democracy, and favour the use of strong central
power to preserve the political status quo. They have zero concern for
the rights and freedoms of individuals. They are authoritarian, with a desire to
become totalitarian. They want the state to take control over the economy. And most
favour the interests of the very rich over the middle and working classes and
the poor. They have a liking for violence and intimidation, and a high regard
for military exploits. They indoctrinate the people with propaganda. They like
to hold mass ceremonies of affirmation and conformity. And they like to pick on
scapegoats for persecution (often on the basis of their race).
Are Nigel Farage and Reform UK fascists?
I’ll break this question into four parts. One, is Reform a
fascist party? Two, is it racist? Three, is it anti-semitic? And four, what of
Nigel Farage as an individual? If the party is convicted on any of the first
three, then because he is its leader, it would be reasonable to suppose that
Nigel was guilty of the same, absent specific evidence to the contrary.
How to answer these questions? Where necessary, I will use
quotes from the “Contract with You,” the party’s 2024 election manifesto,
together with a few things I have found out since then. Of course, the proof of
the pudding is in the eating; for politicians of all parties routinely renege
on their promises. But these quotes will give us a good start.
Does Reform oppose Marxism and socialism? Well, yes. But so
does anyone who cares about the rights and freedoms of individual human beings.
Does Reform oppose democracy? The Contract promises to “end the corruption of our government and politics by an out-of-touch, London-centric élite to make Britain a more democratic, accountable and therefore more prosperous nation.” They will legislate “to stop … politically correct ideology that threatens personal freedom and democracy.” And they want to “replace the crony-filled House of Lords with a much smaller, more democratic second chamber.” So, the answer is No.
Does Reform favour strong central power, and the current political establishment? No: for it seeks, among other things, to “cut nanny state regulations” and to convene an “excess deaths and vaccine harms public enquiry.” It is also opposed to Labour’s schemes that seek to centralize powers in local government.
Does Reform lack concern for the rights and freedoms of
individuals? No. It offers “to stop politically correct ideology that threatens
personal freedom,” and a British Bill of Rights in which our rights and freedoms
“must be codified and guaranteed.” It “opposes a cashless society.” And Nigel
Farage strongly says No to any UK digital ID. As a civil liberties activist
myself, I say that’s a lot better than Tories or Labour. But again, the pudding
must be proven.
Does Reform want to create a totalitarian state? Not if the
Contract with You can be believed.
Does Reform want state control over the economy? No. Indeed,
it wants to “abolish IR35” (of which I myself am a victim) and to “support
small and medium-sized enterprises.” They do, however, propose “tighter
regulation and a new ownership model for critical national infrastructure.” Like
roads, railways and water. But this is understandable, given that it’s an area
in which the current system has totally failed.
Does Reform favour the very rich over the middle and working
classes? No. They want to “cut taxes to make work pay.” And they are against
“complex offshore property company structures and high interest shareholder
loans.”
Does Reform set a high priority on military activity? Well,
yes, considering the low state to which the UK military has fallen. But enemies
and potential enemies are not going away quite yet. So, the problems do need to
be addressed.
Is Reform a racist party? I quote from its constitution: it “does
not discriminate against or in favour of any person on the grounds of their
race, religion, gender, ethnic origin, education, beliefs, sexual orientation,
social class, sectarianism or any other basis prescribed by law.”
Does Reform pick scapegoats? Some would
say that it targets “illegal” immigrants. But why are they here, without first
having been accepted by the community of British people? And why are they showered
with benefits, without ever having paid any UK taxes?
But maybe there is a group of
immigrants Reform would victimize. That is, those who came “legally”
from the EU before 2020, and have settled and integrated here. If Reform gets
power, they face a future in which they must again and again re-apply for UK residence.
To anti-semitism. I don’t know of any
Jewish members in our local branch of Reform. But I certainly wouldn’t
object to them; because I operate “judgement by behaviour,” as I described
above. I don’t care who someone is. Just what they do.
As to Nigel Farage, he positively
supports Israel in the conflict in Gaza. You can accuse him of being callous to
Palestinians, if you will; but he is no Jew-hater.
That’s a pretty meagre ration of
similarities between, on the one hand, Nigel Farage and Reform UK, and on the
other, fascists. Do you not agree?
Are Labour fascists?
Now for the (first)
fun bit. Let’s apply the same test to Labour. I do realize that I’m
being a little generous to Farage and Reform, because I’m going to compare
Reform’s manifesto promises with the records of Labour and Tories when in
power. But here goes, anyway.
Are Labour against
Marxism and socialism? Maybe. Before Blair, they used to be socialists.
But today, they abhor real socialists like George Galloway or Jeremy Corbyn.
Opposing democracy?
Check. They have imposed a re-organization of local government, that nobody
outside the establishment blob wants. They have cancelled elections in the
process, in some cases two years in a row. And they seek to impose a mayoral
system, that is totally inappropriate for people in rural areas, without even an
attempt at “consultation.” Meanwhile, they present this as “devolution,”
whereas in reality it is centralization of power.
On top of all that,
they eagerly support agendas being forced on us by the activist, unelected,
unaccountable United Nations. Like “15-minute cities.” And they want to take us
back into the EU.
They want the state
to control the economy, too. With swingeing taxes and burgeoning regulations. And
with Mad Miliband and his nett zero morons making energy prices higher than
almost anywhere else in the world. Moreover, while they claim to despise “the
rich,” everything they do increases the power of the politically rich,
at everyone else’s expense.
Zero concern for
rights and freedoms? Check. Indeed, they are putting in place, piece by piece,
a plenitude of “final solutions” to kill our human rights and freedoms. Such
as: Digital ID. A database they want to be a “single source of truth.” Using
facial recognition cameras to construct a totalitarian “panopticon” to imprison
and surveil us all. And abolishing jury trials.
Do they favour
military escapades? You bet. Tony Blair lied to fabricate an excuse to start a
war in Iraq. More recently, Labour have sought to re-position themselves as a pro-NATO
party of national security. And Starmer is happy to use nuclear weapons. And
didn’t say he wouldn’t use them pre-emptively.
Indoctrination and
propaganda? Do they ever say anything that isn’t propaganda? And lying
to and gaslighting the people are second nature to them. As Reform’s
by-election candidate in Gorton and Denton, Matt Goodwin, can attest: [[ii]].
As to scapegoating,
Labour are past masters. I myself have been a victim of IR35 for a quarter of a
century now. Labour have always hated people who want to be independent. And
today, more and more groups of innocent, valuable people are being singled out
for persecution. Car drivers. Pensioners. Farmers. Family businesses. Who will
be next?
What about racism
and anti-semitism? Labour claim to be against both. But historically, that
claim cannot be sustained. Even one of their own former MPs, Chuka Umunna, has
described them as “institutionally racist.” And there is a significant faction within
the party that supports Palestinians against Jews. Moreover, their mad rush to
take in immigrants, of any quality and at any cost, has led them to
discriminate against the indigenous populations, the English, Scots, Welsh and
Northern Irish, who are expected both to tolerate a hugely increased population
density, and to pay for it all.
To sum up: Labour
are a lot closer to being fascists than either Reform or Nigel Farage! If it behaves
like a fascist, and talks like a fascist, then at least if you can believe Lisa
Nandy, it probably is a fascist.
Are the Tories fascists?
And here’s the
second fun bit. Same questions, but a slightly different target.
Are the Tories
against Marxism and socialism? They have long claimed that they are. And yet, in
practice they have maintained a cosy arrangement that has allowed Tories and
Labour to alternate power, with the Tories usually in government about
two-thirds of the time. They may disown the devil, yet they have danced with it
for decades.
Do they oppose
democracy? The Tories have never really respected the people they are charged to
serve. This is because they are arrogant bastards, and they think they are élites who have a right to rule us. That they have managed to rule for as long as they have, is only
because very many people have seen them as the lesser of two evils. But they
are still evil.
Moreover, they
changed the voting system so that, according to the Electoral Reform Society,
“mayors with sweeping powers are now taking office with the backing of a small
minority of voters.” Which is just how Labour got into power nationally in
2024.
More recently, where
I live, the local Tories have fallen over themselves in their rush to get in on
Labour’s centralizing schemes, and to keep themselves in unelected power in the
process. It looks as if they are working together in tandem.
Do they want the
state to control the economy? Not quite as much as Labour. But they had already
raised taxes to record levels even before Labour got in. Moreover, for decades
Tories and Labour have both kow-towed to bad policies being imposed by the UN
and policed by the EU. Particularly on “climate change,” nett zero and air
pollution. They have conjoined to de-industrialize Britain, and make us all
unnecessarily poorer and colder.
Yet the Tories still
want to make sure that big profits accrue to their cronies. And that they get a
good cut for themselves. They tend to like billionaires, perhaps for their
“generosity.” They favour multi-national companies and Big Business, but don’t
care a damn about the “little people.” Their failure to repeal IR35 is evidence
of this. As is the draconian way they closed down so many small businesses over
COVID.
Rights and freedoms?
It was the Tories that suppressed free speech with their “on-line safety bill,”
and exposed us all to false accusations of “misinformation.” They stomped on
the right to protest. They forced many people to take an untried COVID “vaccine,”
whose side-effects can include death. They also promoted a “cashless society”
and central bank digital currencies, with obvious intent to end financial
privacy. And it is impossible to believe that Labour’s ever-increasing assaults
on our rights and freedoms over the past year and a half were not planned by
the Tories when they had power.
On the subject of
war, I need give you only one example. Six weeks after the Ukraine war began,
there was a situation where Putin was willing to negotiate, and Zelenskiy was in
two minds. Boris Johnson was despatched to Kiev to “persuade” Zelenskiy to
continue fighting, despite Russia’s overwhelming long-term superiority in
resources. Despite academic waffles to the contrary, it looks as if Johnson did
the dirty work for the Western military-industrial complex, and ensured that the
war continued. He has blood on his hands.
Indoctrination and
propaganda? Suffice it to say that “if a politician’s lips are moving, he or
she is lying.” Oh, and as to mass ceremonies of affirmation and
conformity, it was the Tories who instituted the Orwellian “one minute clap”
for NHS and key workers during COVID.
And while not quite
as quick as Labour at creating new groups of scapegoats, the Tories, through
decades of much the same agendas as Labour, have victimized many innocent
people, such as with green levies and anti-car policies.
For more than half
a century, the Tories have repeatedly been labelled as racist by their
opponents. And sexist, to boot. Some of these arrows have stuck, so that a
perception of Tories as racists has become widespread. There have also been,
over the decades, many incidents of anti-semitism shown by Tories, including
Winston Churchill and Harold Macmillan.
All in all, the
Tories are not far away from Labour in their level of fascism. Not really
surprising, as despite their different rhetoric, there aren’t a lot of
differences between Tories and Labour in their attitudes to the people they are
supposed to serve. The Tories do, however, tend to be a little bit cleverer
than Labour in the way they disguise things.
To sum up
I could carry on to
test the Lib Dems and Greens for symptoms of fascism. But I have neither space
here, nor time or energy today. So, I will finish simply by outlining my
conclusions.
Whatever its
detractors may say, Reform UK is not a fascist party. And on the evidence which
I have examined, Nigel Farage does not behave like a fascist. Nor can he justly
be accused of racism or anti-semitism.
In contrast, both
Labour and the Tories have shown plenty of evidence of racist and anti-semitic
tendencies in their pasts. And both of them include elements in their agendas
which, even if not strictly Fascist, are nevertheless fascistic in tone. These
include: Contempt for democracy. Ever increasing taxation and state control.
Green and anti-car policies. Increasing violations of human rights and
freedoms. And lack of respect for the individual human beings, whom they are
supposed to serve.
Who's a fascist?
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