With elections on the horizon, it’s time to ask: Does Reform UK really stand for change – or for hate?
Reform UK wants your vote!
In the Runcorn by-election and the upcoming local elections, Nigel Farage’s party is hoping for shock gains at the expense of the established ‘big’ parties—Labour, the Tories, and the Lib Dems.
With promises of a fresh approach and a challenge to the political establishment, it is positioning itself as the alternative to the status quo.
But just take a look at who some of these candidates are and what they stand for—I mean, what they really stand for.
🧡 **Support Vox Political**
If you value independent political journalism that holds power to account — without corporate or party influence — please consider supporting this work. Even £1 helps keep it going.
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Reform UK claims to be the party of change, rejecting the old guard of British politics in favour of something new.
Its representatives market themselves as a force for reform—committed to cleaning up a political system they say has been corrupted by the same tired ideas and failed promises.
But that narrative starts to unravel when you look beneath the surface.
A far-right agenda in disguise?
Anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate has reported disturbing revelations about Reform UK candidates that paint a much darker picture.
Despite the party’s insistence that it is committed to professionalising and cleaning up British politics, the social media activity of some of its candidates shows clear support for far-right ideologies, racism and extremism.
Posts from Reform UK candidates include troubling calls for violence against Muslims, derogatory remarks about Muslim communities, and overt support for far-right conspiracy theories like “the Great Replacement”.
One candidate, Steven Biggs, posted in 2015 that “Islam has no place on this earth. One big nuke bomb needed.”
Another, Isaiah-John Smith Reasbeck, described Bradford—a city with a significant Muslim population—as a “shithole” in a post from August last year.
These comments weren’t hidden away in obscure corners of the internet; they were made public and open for all to see, raising serious questions about the party’s vetting system.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Vetting: claims v reality
Farage and Reform UK leaders have repeatedly insisted that the party’s vetting process is among the most rigorous in politics.
At a campaign event in Dover, he confidently stated that hundreds of candidates had been rejected for offensive content online—saying the party’s system was “as good, if not better” than that of the major political parties.
But the reality doesn’t seem to align with these claims.
While Farage insists that the party is committed to rooting out candidates with problematic views, Hope Not Hate’s findings suggest that the vetting process is either shockingly inadequate or selectively enforced. I
f Reform UK is truly conducting the kind of thorough background checks Farage describes, then how do we explain the presence of candidates with such deeply troubling histories?
One glaring example is Howard Rimmer, a candidate in Doncaster, who shared posts from the Traditional Britain Group—a far-right organization known for promoting racist, xenophobic ideas.
The group’s posts included claims like “we are importing low IQ people,” reflecting views that are not only unqualified but openly hostile to diversity.
Despite the party’s public assurances that it’s professionalising, Rimmer’s extremist sympathies appear to have slipped through the cracks.
This pattern of allowing individuals with extreme views to become candidates raises a chilling question: If Reform UK is failing to prevent these individuals from running, what does that say about what the leadership truly believes?
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Reform UK doesn’t need Tommy Robinson – it already has enough people like him
While Farage publicly distanced the party from figures like Tommy Robinson, the infamous far-right activist, it’s increasingly clear that Reform UK doesn’t need him—it already has enough people just like him.
Many of the candidates the party has selected openly express admiration for Robinson and his ideology.
Howard Rimmer and others have repeatedly posted supportive material about Robinson and other far-right figures, reinforcing the connection between Reform UK and the very extremism it claims to reject.
In fact, Reform UK’s real problem isn’t that it’s too close to Robinson; it’s that the party is already full of candidates whose views closely mirror his own.
So, while Farage’s attempts to keep Robinson at arm’s length may make good headlines, it does nothing to address the broader issue: Reform UK has already allowed these extremist views to take root within its ranks.
What this means for voters
Reform UK’s rise as a challenger to the status quo may appeal to those disillusioned with the mainstream parties, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that the party’s leadership is more interested in appealing to extremist fringes than in offering genuine, constructive change.
If voters are truly looking for an alternative to the “corrupt” political establishment, they need to ask themselves whether a party that turns a blind eye to hate-filled rhetoric is really the answer.
The party’s vetting failures and its tolerance for extremism are a serious red flag.
Voters need to be aware that backing Reform UK may not just be about challenging the political establishment—it could also mean enabling the spread of dangerous ideologies in local councils.
🧡 **Support Vox Political**
If you value independent political journalism that holds power to account — without corporate or party influence — please consider supporting this work. Even £1 helps keep it going.
👉 Support here via Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
A call for accountability
If Reform UK is serious about offering true reform, it needs to face up to the reality of its candidate pool.
The party claims to stand for change, but it is really offering a platform for individuals with deeply dangerous views.
Farage’s promises of a professionalised, clean party ring hollow when the candidates selected to represent Reform UK are repeatedly found to be espousing hate, division, and far-right extremism.
For voters considering Reform UK as an alternative to the traditional parties, it’s worth asking:
What kind of change are you really voting for?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
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And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
Does Reform UK really stand for change – or for hate?
With elections on the horizon, it’s time to ask: Does Reform UK really stand for change – or for hate?
Reform UK wants your vote!
In the Runcorn by-election and the upcoming local elections, Nigel Farage’s party is hoping for shock gains at the expense of the established ‘big’ parties—Labour, the Tories, and the Lib Dems.
With promises of a fresh approach and a challenge to the political establishment, it is positioning itself as the alternative to the status quo.
But just take a look at who some of these candidates are and what they stand for—I mean, what they really stand for.
🧡 **Support Vox Political**
If you value independent political journalism that holds power to account — without corporate or party influence — please consider supporting this work. Even £1 helps keep it going.
👉 Support here via Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
Reform UK claims to be the party of change, rejecting the old guard of British politics in favour of something new.
Its representatives market themselves as a force for reform—committed to cleaning up a political system they say has been corrupted by the same tired ideas and failed promises.
But that narrative starts to unravel when you look beneath the surface.
A far-right agenda in disguise?
Anti-racism campaign group Hope Not Hate has reported disturbing revelations about Reform UK candidates that paint a much darker picture.
Despite the party’s insistence that it is committed to professionalising and cleaning up British politics, the social media activity of some of its candidates shows clear support for far-right ideologies, racism and extremism.
Posts from Reform UK candidates include troubling calls for violence against Muslims, derogatory remarks about Muslim communities, and overt support for far-right conspiracy theories like “the Great Replacement”.
One candidate, Steven Biggs, posted in 2015 that “Islam has no place on this earth. One big nuke bomb needed.”
Another, Isaiah-John Smith Reasbeck, described Bradford—a city with a significant Muslim population—as a “shithole” in a post from August last year.
These comments weren’t hidden away in obscure corners of the internet; they were made public and open for all to see, raising serious questions about the party’s vetting system.
Buy Cruel Britannia in print here. Buy the Cruel Britannia ebook here. Or just click on the image!
Vetting: claims v reality
Farage and Reform UK leaders have repeatedly insisted that the party’s vetting process is among the most rigorous in politics.
At a campaign event in Dover, he confidently stated that hundreds of candidates had been rejected for offensive content online—saying the party’s system was “as good, if not better” than that of the major political parties.
But the reality doesn’t seem to align with these claims.
While Farage insists that the party is committed to rooting out candidates with problematic views, Hope Not Hate’s findings suggest that the vetting process is either shockingly inadequate or selectively enforced. I
f Reform UK is truly conducting the kind of thorough background checks Farage describes, then how do we explain the presence of candidates with such deeply troubling histories?
One glaring example is Howard Rimmer, a candidate in Doncaster, who shared posts from the Traditional Britain Group—a far-right organization known for promoting racist, xenophobic ideas.
The group’s posts included claims like “we are importing low IQ people,” reflecting views that are not only unqualified but openly hostile to diversity.
Despite the party’s public assurances that it’s professionalising, Rimmer’s extremist sympathies appear to have slipped through the cracks.
This pattern of allowing individuals with extreme views to become candidates raises a chilling question: If Reform UK is failing to prevent these individuals from running, what does that say about what the leadership truly believes?
Get my free guide: “10 Political Lies You Were Sold This Decade” — just subscribe to our email list here:
👉 https://voxpoliticalonline.com
Reform UK doesn’t need Tommy Robinson – it already has enough people like him
While Farage publicly distanced the party from figures like Tommy Robinson, the infamous far-right activist, it’s increasingly clear that Reform UK doesn’t need him—it already has enough people just like him.
Many of the candidates the party has selected openly express admiration for Robinson and his ideology.
Howard Rimmer and others have repeatedly posted supportive material about Robinson and other far-right figures, reinforcing the connection between Reform UK and the very extremism it claims to reject.
In fact, Reform UK’s real problem isn’t that it’s too close to Robinson; it’s that the party is already full of candidates whose views closely mirror his own.
So, while Farage’s attempts to keep Robinson at arm’s length may make good headlines, it does nothing to address the broader issue: Reform UK has already allowed these extremist views to take root within its ranks.
What this means for voters
Reform UK’s rise as a challenger to the status quo may appeal to those disillusioned with the mainstream parties, but it’s becoming increasingly likely that the party’s leadership is more interested in appealing to extremist fringes than in offering genuine, constructive change.
If voters are truly looking for an alternative to the “corrupt” political establishment, they need to ask themselves whether a party that turns a blind eye to hate-filled rhetoric is really the answer.
The party’s vetting failures and its tolerance for extremism are a serious red flag.
Voters need to be aware that backing Reform UK may not just be about challenging the political establishment—it could also mean enabling the spread of dangerous ideologies in local councils.
🧡 **Support Vox Political**
If you value independent political journalism that holds power to account — without corporate or party influence — please consider supporting this work. Even £1 helps keep it going.
👉 Support here via Ko-fi: https://ko-fi.com/voxpolitical
A call for accountability
If Reform UK is serious about offering true reform, it needs to face up to the reality of its candidate pool.
The party claims to stand for change, but it is really offering a platform for individuals with deeply dangerous views.
Farage’s promises of a professionalised, clean party ring hollow when the candidates selected to represent Reform UK are repeatedly found to be espousing hate, division, and far-right extremism.
For voters considering Reform UK as an alternative to the traditional parties, it’s worth asking:
What kind of change are you really voting for?
Vox Political needs your help!
If you want to support this site
(but don’t want to give your money to advertisers)
you can make a one-off donation here:
Be among the first to know what’s going on! Here are the ways to manage it:
1) Register with us by clicking on ‘Subscribe’ (bottom right of the home page). You can then receive notifications of every new article that is posted here.
2) Follow VP on Twitter @VoxPolitical
3) Like the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/VoxPolitical/
Join the Vox Political Facebook page.
4) You could even make Vox Political your homepage at http://voxpoliticalonline.com
5) Follow Vox Political writer Mike Sivier on BlueSky
6) Join the MeWe page at https://mewe.com/p-front/voxpolitical
7) Feel free to comment!
And do share with your family and friends – so they don’t miss out!
If you have appreciated this article, don’t forget to share it using the buttons at the bottom of this page. Politics is about everybody – so let’s try to get everybody involved!
Buy Vox Political books so we can continue
fighting for the facts.
Cruel Britannia is available
in either print or eBook format here:
The Livingstone Presumption is available
in either print or eBook format here:
Health Warning: Government! is now available
in either print or eBook format here:
The first collection, Strong Words and Hard Times,
is still available in either print or eBook format here:
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