Why Reform UK is Far-Right - and why Using the Right Terminology Matters
What do we mean when we say far-right? In the words of Cas Mudde, a leading academic on populism and extremism: "Reform UK is far-right. That is not an opinion, that is a fact."
While "far-right" is a contested term, most academics and experts generally agree that it includes certain key beliefs and themes, such as racist and xenophobic rhetoric, the undermining of democratic process, attacks on human rights and the principle that all human beings are equal, and a populist, conspiratorial belief in a sinister "elite".
Reform UK fits all of the above.
Related reading: Reform Party Candidates Continue to Make Richard Tice's Insistence the Party is not Far-Right Seem Questionable - Here's More Examples
The terms far-right and fascist are often mistakenly interchangeable, creating an inaccurate expectation that the label "far-right" should only be applied to swastika-waving skinheads and Third Reich apologists.
Despite having attracted its fair share of these sorts of extremists, Reform UK itself is not fascist. But that doesn't mean it isn't far-right.
"Far-right" is an umbrella term, and while useful, it is not a monolith, so academics and experts split it into its constituent parts.
Related reading: Reform UK Facebook Groups Rife with Far-Right Sentiment and Support for Riots
The historians David Renton and Neil Davidson essentially divide the right of the political spectrum into conservatives, the non-fascist far-right, and fascism. In these definitions, Reform UK sits comfortably in the "non-fascist far-right" category.
Similarly, Mudde breaks down the term far-right further into the following:
The radical right which "accepts the essence of democracy, but opposes fundamental elements of liberal democracy". This describes Nigel Farage and Reform UK, as the party rejects key elements of liberal democracy, most notably the concept that every human being has inherent dignity and universal rights.
The extreme far-right which "rejects the essence of democracy, that is, popular sovereignty and majority rule".
The Reluctance to Use the Term
Reform UK is adamant that it is not far-right and is willing to litigate the point, leading to many journalists and media outlets fearing legal repercussions for describing the party accurately.
Former leader Richard Tice claimed that news organisations using the term were "defamatory and libellous", while many voters of the party genuinely see themselves not as extreme or fringe, but as ordinary, normal exemplars of "the people".
Related reading: The Politics of Farage and Reform is No Joke of a Matter - The Established Media Must Learn Its Lessons and Start Holding Them to Account
However, their refusal to self-identify as far-right doesn't mean that they aren't.
The failure to accurately describe policies and statements by supposedly "mainstream" commentators and politicians is a key factor in the normalisation of far-right politics.
The term "far-right" still has some power and if accurately deployed it can help slow or maybe even reverse the normalisation and mainstreaming of far-right parties and politicians like Reform UK and Farage.
Farage's Links to the Far-Right
For decades, Farage has made overtly racist and xenophobic remarks and propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories.
He has spent years collaborating, befriending and showering praise for a wide range of far-right politicians across the world.
While leader of UKIP and as an MEP, Farage worked closely with a range of far-right parties as part of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group which included Lega Nord, the Danish People's Party, Finns Party and the Slovak National Party.
In 2014, Farage was widely criticised for joining forces with the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party with Nazi roots. Farage is friendly with and openly admires far-right leaders like Donald Trump, Georgia Meloni, Marie Le Pen and Victor Orban.
Related reading
While "far-right" is a contested term, most academics and experts generally agree that it includes certain key beliefs and themes, such as racist and xenophobic rhetoric, the undermining of democratic process, attacks on human rights and the principle that all human beings are equal, and a populist, conspiratorial belief in a sinister "elite".
Reform UK fits all of the above.
Related reading: Reform Party Candidates Continue to Make Richard Tice's Insistence the Party is not Far-Right Seem Questionable - Here's More Examples
The terms far-right and fascist are often mistakenly interchangeable, creating an inaccurate expectation that the label "far-right" should only be applied to swastika-waving skinheads and Third Reich apologists.
Despite having attracted its fair share of these sorts of extremists, Reform UK itself is not fascist. But that doesn't mean it isn't far-right.
"Far-right" is an umbrella term, and while useful, it is not a monolith, so academics and experts split it into its constituent parts.
Related reading: Reform UK Facebook Groups Rife with Far-Right Sentiment and Support for Riots
The historians David Renton and Neil Davidson essentially divide the right of the political spectrum into conservatives, the non-fascist far-right, and fascism. In these definitions, Reform UK sits comfortably in the "non-fascist far-right" category.
Similarly, Mudde breaks down the term far-right further into the following:
The radical right which "accepts the essence of democracy, but opposes fundamental elements of liberal democracy". This describes Nigel Farage and Reform UK, as the party rejects key elements of liberal democracy, most notably the concept that every human being has inherent dignity and universal rights.
The extreme far-right which "rejects the essence of democracy, that is, popular sovereignty and majority rule".
The Reluctance to Use the Term
Reform UK is adamant that it is not far-right and is willing to litigate the point, leading to many journalists and media outlets fearing legal repercussions for describing the party accurately.
Former leader Richard Tice claimed that news organisations using the term were "defamatory and libellous", while many voters of the party genuinely see themselves not as extreme or fringe, but as ordinary, normal exemplars of "the people".
Related reading: The Politics of Farage and Reform is No Joke of a Matter - The Established Media Must Learn Its Lessons and Start Holding Them to Account
However, their refusal to self-identify as far-right doesn't mean that they aren't.
The failure to accurately describe policies and statements by supposedly "mainstream" commentators and politicians is a key factor in the normalisation of far-right politics.
The term "far-right" still has some power and if accurately deployed it can help slow or maybe even reverse the normalisation and mainstreaming of far-right parties and politicians like Reform UK and Farage.
Farage's Links to the Far-Right
For decades, Farage has made overtly racist and xenophobic remarks and propagated antisemitic conspiracy theories.
He has spent years collaborating, befriending and showering praise for a wide range of far-right politicians across the world.
While leader of UKIP and as an MEP, Farage worked closely with a range of far-right parties as part of the Europe of Freedom and Democracy group which included Lega Nord, the Danish People's Party, Finns Party and the Slovak National Party.
In 2014, Farage was widely criticised for joining forces with the Sweden Democrats, a far-right party with Nazi roots. Farage is friendly with and openly admires far-right leaders like Donald Trump, Georgia Meloni, Marie Le Pen and Victor Orban.
Related reading
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