116-593: Reform UK , colloquially known as Reform , is a right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom. Nigel Farage has served as the party's leader since June 2024 and Richard Tice has served as the party's deputy leader since July 2024. The party currently has five members of Parliament (MPs) in the House of Commons and one member of the London Assembly . The party also holds representation at
232-685: A no-deal Brexit , it won the most seats at the 2019 European Parliament election in the UK , but did not win any seats at the 2019 general election . The UK withdrew from the European Union (EU) in January 2020. A year later, in January 2021, the party was renamed Reform UK. During the COVID-19 pandemic the party advocated against further lockdowns . Since 2022, it has campaigned on a broader platform, in particular pledging to reduce immigration to
348-687: A " nihilistic culture and an intractable crisis." [P]opulism is like fascism in being a response to liberal and socialist explanations of the political. And also like fascism, populism does not recognize a legitimate political place for an opposition that it regards as acting against the desires of the people and that it also accuses of being tyrannical, conspiratorial, and antidemocratic. ... The opponents are turned into public enemies, but only rhetorically. If populism moves from rhetorical enmity to practices of enemy identification and persecution, we could be talking about its transformation into fascism or another form of dictatorial repression. This has happened in
464-473: A "right of centre, populist" movement. Bernier lost his seat in the 2019 Canadian federal elections, and the People's Party scored just above 1% of the vote; however, in the 2021 election, it saw improved performance and climbed to nearly 5% of the popular vote. Pierre Poilievre , who has been described as populist by some journalists, won the 2022 Conservative Party of Canada leadership election and became
580-466: A base using an online platform. On 22 November 2019, the Brexit Party set out its proposals for the 2019 UK general election . They covered a wide range of policy areas including taxation, reforming politics, immigration and the environment. The party received two percent of the vote in the election, with none of its 273 candidates winning a seat. Before the general election on 8 December 2019,
696-728: A blend of socially conservative and right-wing populist policies. It grew from a fringe party into a major political force in the 1990s and became the official opposition party before reforming itself as the Canadian Alliance . The Alliance ultimately merged with the Progressive Conservative Party to form the modern-day Conservative Party of Canada , after which the Alliance faction dropped some of its populist and socially conservative ideas. In recent years, right-wing populist elements have existed within
812-507: A manifesto. In May 2019, Farage described his admiration for how fellow Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy members, Italy 's Five Star Movement , had managed to grow from a protest group into the country's largest political party in both houses of the Italian Parliament . He saw the Brexit Party doing the same kind of thing and "running a company, not a political party, hence our model of registered supporters" and building
928-615: A member of the centrist Brazilian Democratic Movement , was removed from office after facing embezzlement charges. In March 2016, after entering the Social Christian Party , far-right congressman Jair Bolsonaro decided to run for President of the Republic. In 2017, he tried to become the presidential nominee of Patriota , but, eventually, Bolsonaro entered the Social Liberal Party and, supported by
1044-811: A philosophy rooted in life, liberty, and property, and free market principles. He criticizes socialism and communism , advocating economic liberalization and the restructuring of government ministries. He opposes the Central Bank of Argentina and current taxation policies. Economically, Milei is influenced by the Austrian school of economics and admires former president Carlos Menem 's policies. He supports capitalism , viewing socialism as embodying envy and coercion. Milei proposes reducing government ministries and addressing economic challenges through spending cuts and fiscal reforms, criticizing previous administrations for excessive spending. He has praised
1160-647: A platform for conservative populist discontent". Some political figures closely associated with the Tea Party, such as U.S. Senator Ted Cruz and former U.S. Representative Ron Paul , have been described as appealing to right-wing populism. In the U.S. House of Representatives , the Freedom Caucus , associated with the Tea Party movement, has been described as right-wing populist. Donald Trump 's 2016 presidential campaign , noted for its anti-establishment , anti-immigration, and protectionist rhetoric,
1276-956: A politically dominant group, while minorities are conceived as threats to the nation". It is "generally, but not necessarily racist"; in the case of the Dutch PVV for instance, "a religious [minority, i.e. Muslims] instead of an ethnic minority constitutes the main 'enemy'". Scholars use terminology inconsistently, sometimes referring to right-wing populism as " radical right " or other terms such as new nationalism . Pippa Norris noted that "standard reference works use alternate typologies and diverse labels categorising parties as ' far ' or 'extreme' right, ' New Right ', ' anti-immigrant ' or ' neo-fascist ', ' anti-establishment ', 'national populist', 'protest', 'ethnic', 'authoritarian', ' anti-government ', 'anti-party', ' ultranationalist ', ' right-libertarian ' and so on". The term 'authoritarian populism' can be used to describe right-wing populism, though it
SECTION 10
#17327807031511392-528: A reaction and at the same time is too broad to be meaningful". Bale noted the importance of distinguishing between the " extreme right " and "populist radical right". Reform UK itself rejects the descriptor, and has threatened legal action against media using it. The party's constitution was published by the Electoral Commission as a result of a freedom of information request in May 2019. It described
1508-467: A real syncretism of the left and right, as their ideology and voter base are interclassist. Furthermore, neo-populist parties went from a critique of the welfare state to that of multiculturalism , and their priority demand remains the reduction of immigration. The roots of the right-wing populist movement in Hungary are deep, and over the past few decades it has significantly influenced politics in
1624-542: A series of national lockdowns . Farage rebranded the party as Reform UK around the end of the year and focused on anti-lockdown campaigning. Farage stepped down as leader in March 2021 and was succeeded by Richard Tice . In March 2024 Lee Anderson , who was elected in 2019 as a Conservative MP, defected to Reform UK, becoming the party's first MP . On 3 June 2024, Tice announced that Farage would become leader once more, with Tice continuing as chairman. The party won 5 seats in
1740-449: A single real generation, there may be several generations which he called "differentiated and antagonistic". For him, it is not the common birth date that marks a generation, though it matters, but rather the historical moment in which they live in common. In this case, the historical moment was the impeachment of Dilma Rousseff . They can be called the "post-Dilma generation". Centrist interim President Michel Temer took office following
1856-500: A state of decadence, from which "only the healthy common people can free the nation by forming one national class from the different social classes and casting aside the corrupt elites". Methodologically, by co-opting concepts from the left – such as multiculturalism and ethnopluralism , which is espoused by the left as a means of preserving minority ethnic cultures within a pluralistic society – and then jettisoning their non-hierarchical essence, right-wing populists can, in
1972-480: A vast difference", criticising UKIP's connections to the far right. He also said that the party aimed to attract support from "across the board", including former UKIP voters and Conservative and Labour voters who had supported Brexit. Later in the month he said that the party would not publish a manifesto until after the European elections had taken place, saying that the party would have a policy platform instead of
2088-695: Is a political ideology that combines right-wing politics with populist rhetoric and themes. Its rhetoric employs anti- elitist sentiments, opposition to the Establishment , and speaking to or for the common people . Recurring themes of right-wing populists include neo-nationalism , social conservatism , economic nationalism and fiscal conservatism . Frequently, they aim to defend a national culture, identity, and economy against perceived attacks by outsiders. Right-wing populism has associations with authoritarianism, while some far-right populists draw comparisons to fascism . Right-wing populism in
2204-662: Is a "marriage of convenience" of populism based on an "ethnic and chauvinistic definition of the people", authoritarianism, and nativism. This results in right-wing populism having a "xenophobic nature". Roger Eatwell, Emeritus Professor of Comparative Politics at the University of Bath , writes that "whilst populism and fascism differ notably ideologically, in practice the latter has borrowed aspects of populist discourse and style, and populism can degenerate into leader-oriented authoritarian and exclusionary politics." For populism to transition into fascism or proto-fascism, it requires
2320-501: Is a common theme at the center of many national right-wing populist movements, the theme often crystallizes around cultural issues, such as religion, gender roles, and sexuality, as is the case with the transnational anti-gender theory movements. A body of scholarship has also found populist movements to employ or be based around conspiracy theories, rumors, and falsehoods. Some scholars argue that right-wing populism's association with conspiracy, rumor and falsehood may be more common in
2436-822: Is also a prominent factor in Hungarian right-wing populism. Since taking office in 2010, Orbán has changed Fidesz from a center-right party to a right-wing populist organization. Under Orbán's leadership, the party has stressed national sovereignty, anti-immigrant policies, and conservative social values, frequently battling with the EU on a variety of topics. Orbán's administration has centralized authority, controlled media, and altered legal frameworks to keep power. Piero Ignazi [ it ] , an Italian political scientist , divided right-wing populist parties, which he called "extreme right parties", into two categories: he placed traditional right-wing parties that had developed out of
SECTION 20
#17327807031512552-569: Is also used to refer to left-wing political movements. In regard to the authoritarian aspect of right-wing populism, political psychologist Shawn W. Rosenberg asserts that its "intellectual roots and underlying logic" are best seen as "a contemporary expression of the fascist ideologies of the early 20th century". Guided by its roots in ideological fascism ... and its affinity to the fascist governments of 1930s Germany and Italy, [right-wing populism] tends to delegate unusual power to its leadership, more specifically its key leader. This leader embodies
2668-832: Is seen as being strongly culturally conservative and a deeply pious Muslim , although he is no Islamist . Even with Kwankwaso's cultural conservatism, he has expressed support for women's rights in Nigeria . According to John Campbell from the Council on Foreign Relations , Freedom Front Plus is a white and coloured dominated political party that promotes Afrikaner nationalism . The current party manifesto, written by Pieter Groenewald , calls for an end to affirmative action and Black Economic Empowerment while supporting proportional representation . Freedom Front Plus has always promoted policies which are conservative in nature and support Afrikaans-speakers and Christians from
2784-627: Is the Ashkenazi Jews who have caused the world massive misery." Greenhough also claimed that the Archbishop of Canterbury Justin Welby was "a Jew and closer to Cultural Marxism than Christianity." A spokesman for Reform said that, while the party defended its "candidates' right to freedom of speech", they "act fast when we find that individuals' statements fall beneath our standards." Reform UK gave its support to parliamentary candidates in
2900-687: Is the leading right-wing party, closely associated with the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), a Hindu nationalist organization. The BJP and the RSS promote the idea of Hindutva, or “Hinduness,” which emphasizes India’s Hindu cultural heritage. This ideology is often contrasted with secularism and is sometimes seen as favoring policies that strengthen Hindu identity in the nation’s cultural and political fabric. Key figures in right-wing Indian politics include Narendra Modi , known for his policies on economic reform, digital infrastructure, and
3016-563: Is unacceptable." MEP Louis Stedman-Bryce resigned on 19 November 2019 in response to "The Brexit Party’s recent decision to select a Scottish candidate who has openly posted homophobic views". Reform UK's Alex Wilson stood as a London-wide candidate for the 2024 London Assembly election , earning Reform UK one seat in the London-wide assembly. On 15 May 2019, four Members originally elected or co-opted for UKIP ( Caroline Jones , Mandy Jones , David Rowlands and Mark Reckless ) joined
3132-424: The 2016 United States presidential election and the 2024 United States presidential election after running on platforms founded on right-wing populist themes. Right-wing populism is an ideology that primarily espouses neo-nationalism , social conservatism , and economic nationalism . Cas Mudde argues that what he calls the "populist radical right" starts with the idea of 'the nation'. He however rejects
3248-704: The 2024 general election – the first time that Reform UK had MPs elected to the House of Commons . The incorporation of the Brexit Party Limited in November 2018 was formally announced on 20 January 2019 by former UKIP economics spokesperson Catherine Blaiklock , who served as the party's initial leader. On 5 February 2019, it was registered with the United Kingdom Electoral Commission to run candidates in any English, Scottish, Welsh and European Union elections. On
3364-757: The 2026 Scottish Parliament election , and expects to win significantly in the 2026 Senedd election in Wales, under the new more proportional system . In September 2024, Farage said that he will be surrendering all of his shares in Reform UK. This means members will have more control over the party, such as being able to vote on a constitution and motions and can remove Farage as leader if over 50% of members write to Reform UK chairmen Zia Yusuf. In October 2024, Farage called for Conservative Party councillors to join Reform UK and said "a huge number of them genuinely agree with us and what we stand for". In November 2024, it
3480-697: The Argentine political landscape and have garnered him significant public attention and polarizing reactions. He has been described politically as a right-wing libertarian and right-wing populist, that supports laissez-faire economics, aligning specifically with minarchist and anarcho-capitalist principles. Milei has proposed a comprehensive overhaul of the country's fiscal and structural policies. He supports freedom of choice on drug policy, firearms, prostitution, same-sex marriage, sexual preference, and gender identity, while opposing abortion and euthanasia. In foreign policy, he advocates closer relations with
3596-487: The Brazilian Labour Renewal Party , he won the 2018 presidential election , followed by left-wing former Mayor of São Paulo Fernando Haddad of Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva 's Workers' Party. Lula was banned from running after being convicted on criminal corruption charges and imprisoned. Bolsonaro has been accused of racist, xenophobic, misogynistic, and homophobic rhetoric. His campaign
Reform UK - Misplaced Pages Continue
3712-521: The Chinese internet , and many narratives very similar to those of the populist right have since been observed, such as anti-" western leftism ", Islamophobia , and anti-multiculturalism . Right-wing politics in India primarily centers around nationalism, cultural conservatism, and economic reform aimed at self-reliance and growth. The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) , led by Prime Minister Narendra Modi ,
3828-1205: The Conservative People's Party of Estonia , the Finns Party , the Sweden Democrats , Danish People's Party , Vox in Spain, Chega in Portugal, the Freedom Party of Austria , Fidesz in Hungary, Law and Justice in Poland, the UK Independence Party , the Alternative for Germany , the Freedom and Direct Democracy in the Czech Republic, Greek Solution , Alliance for the Union of Romanians , Revival in Bulgaria,
3944-474: The Dutch Reformed Church of South Africa . President Yoweri Museveni and his party, National Resistance Movement , are usually considered right-wing populist, anti-LGBT , and Ugandan nationalist . According to Corina Lacatus, "Museveni came to power in 1986 as a populist figure who adopted an authoritarian leadership style and converted over the years in an authoritarian leader. Over
4060-550: The Liberal Party of Australia include right-wing populist factions. Rabiu Kwankwaso , as well as his New Nigeria People's Party , are generally as populist and ultraconservative . Styling himself off of Aminu Kano , Kwankwaso has voiced support for the welfare state and building more universities, while also increasing the size of the Nigerian Armed Forces and Nigerian Police Force . Kwankwaso
4176-534: The Social Democratic Party (SDP) announced an electoral pact. Richard Tice declared Reform's intention to stand in 630 constituencies across England, Scotland and Wales with "no ifs, no buts". In December 2022, David White, a Conservative member of Barnsley Metropolitan Borough Council , and Richard Langridge, a Conservative member of West Oxfordshire District Council , both defected to Reform UK to stand as prospective parliamentary candidates for
4292-670: The Swiss People's Party and Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party ) began to grow in popularity, in large part due to increasing opposition to immigration from the Middle East and Africa, rising Euroscepticism and discontent with the economic policies of the European Union. From the 1990s, right-wing populist parties became established in the legislatures of various democracies. Right-wing populism has remained
4408-576: The military , the police , and the religious right . The subsequent economic crisis of 2015 and investigations of corruption scandals led to a right-wing movement that sought to rescue fiscally and socially conservative ideas in opposition to the left-wing policies of the Workers' Party . At the same time, right-libertarians , such as those that make up the Free Brazil Movement , emerged among many others. For Manheim (1952), within
4524-1051: The welfare state , but only for those they deem fit to receive it; this concept has been referred to as " welfare chauvinism ". Since the Great Recession , European right-wing populist movements such as the Brothers of Italy and the League in Italy, the National Rally (formerly the National Front ) in France, the Party for Freedom and the Forum for Democracy in the Netherlands, National Alliance in Latvia,
4640-545: The "people", national populists claim to defend the "average citizen" and "common sense", against the "betrayal of inevitably corrupt elites". As Front National ideologue François Duprat put in the 1970s, inspired by the Latin American right of that time, right-populism aims to constitute a "national, social, and popular" ideology. If both left and right parties share populism itself, their premises are indeed different in that right-wing populists perceive society as in
4756-554: The 1920s. Historical right-wing populist figures in both major parties in the United States have included Thomas E. Watson (D-GA), Strom Thurmond , Joseph McCarthy (R-WI), Barry Goldwater (R-AZ), George Wallace (D-AL), and Pat Buchanan (R-VA). Several of the prominent members of the Populist Party of the 1890s and 1900s, while economically liberal, supported social aspects of right-wing populism. Watson,
Reform UK - Misplaced Pages Continue
4872-447: The 1970s, in a dynamic sustained by voters' rejection of the welfare state and of the tax system, both deemed "confiscatory"; the rise of xenophobia against the backdrop of immigration which, because originating from outside Europe, was considered to be of a new kind; and finally, the end of the prosperity that had reigned since the post–World War II era, symbolized by the oil crisis of 1973 . Two precursor parties consequently appeared in
4988-614: The 1970s. In the late 1980s, the Reform Party of Canada , led by Preston Manning , became another right-wing populist movement formed due to the policies of the center-right Progressive Conservative Party of Canada , which alienated many Blue Tories and led to a feeling of neglect in the West of Canada. Initially motivated by a single-issue desire to give a voice to Western Canada, the Reform Party expanded its platform to include
5104-539: The 2019 general election, which Johnson rejected. The Brexit Party decided unilaterally not to stand candidates against sitting Conservative MPs. By May 2020, the British exit from the EU having taken place, the party focused on the reformation of British democracy and a name change from Brexit Party to Reform Party was proposed. The COVID-19 pandemic began in the UK in 2020, and the Conservative government imposed
5220-516: The 2024 UK general election that spread online conspiracy theories. Conspiracy theories that have been promoted by its candidates include calling the climate crisis "make-believe", anti-vaccine conspiracies, denying the existence of Islamophobia , and the chemtrail conspiracy theory . In May 2024, Alex Wilson became Reform's first London Assembly member, elected via the Londonwide voting system. On 3 June 2024, Farage replaced Tice as leader of
5336-666: The Brexit Party signed a cross-party declaration alongside the Liberal Democrats , Green Party of England and Wales , and the Scottish National Party , calling for first-past-the-post voting to be replaced by a proportional system for Westminster elections. On 22 November 2019, the Brexit Party set out its policy proposals for the 2019 UK general election . Its key policies for the election included: Right-wing populism Right-wing populism , also called national populism and right populism ,
5452-531: The Brexit Party to 'Reform UK'. They said that the party would campaign on a platform that was opposed to further COVID-19 lockdowns (due to the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic ) and that it would seek to reform aspects of UK Governance, including the BBC and House of Lords. The party also gave its support to the Great Barrington Declaration . On 4 January 2021, the party's name change to Reform UK
5568-501: The Brexit Party, which gained 31.6% of the vote in the UK, as "the clear winner in the UK's European elections." The Brexit Party MEPs were not members of a group in the Parliament. MEP Andrew England Kerr was expelled from the party on 29 September 2019 over a potential conflict of interest. Farage explained that England Kerr made "comments about a business and a product that he has a direct financial investment in and we think that
5684-506: The Brexit Party, with Reckless being appointed as leader of their group, which was known as Plaid Brexit in Welsh . In May 2020, Reckless said that Nigel Farage is "consulted over key decisions... but he doesn't micro-manage us here," and that in the 2021 Senedd election it would campaign to scrap the current system of devolution and replace it with a directly elected first minister accountable to Welsh MPs. This policy announcement triggered
5800-615: The Conservative Party of Canada and mainstream provincial parties and have most notably been espoused by Ontario MP Kellie Leitch ; businessman Kevin O'Leary ; Quebec Premier François Legault ; the former Mayor of Toronto Rob Ford ; and his brother, Ontario Premier Doug Ford . In August 2018, Conservative MP Maxime Bernier left the party, and the following month he founded the People's Party of Canada , which has self-described as "smart populism" and been described as
5916-541: The French newspaper Le Monde described Reform UK as a far-right party. In March 2024, the BBC also called the party far-right but soon retracted its statement and apologised to Reform UK, writing that describing the party as far-right "fell short of our usual editorial standards". Commenting on the incident, political scientist Tim Bale wrote that labelling Reform UK as far-right is unhelpful, and that it "causes too visceral
SECTION 50
#17327807031516032-419: The May 2019 European Parliament election, which was the best result for any single party in the 9th European Parliament. The Brexit Party campaigned for a no-deal Brexit and there were high-profile defections to it from the Conservative Party , including Ann Widdecombe and Annunziata Rees-Mogg . Following Boris Johnson 's election as leader of the Conservative Party , Farage offered him an electoral pact at
6148-404: The NHS, giving parents greater control over education, building the M4 relief road , and cutting local government, but did not win any seats. On 11 January 2021, independent MSP Michelle Ballantyne joined Reform UK. She first sat as a Conservative but left the party in 2020 over opposition to COVID-19 lockdown restrictions, continuing to sit as an independent until January 2021 when she joined
6264-474: The UK, supporting low taxation, and opposing net zero emissions. Farage, who owns 60% of Reform UK Party Ltd, had been the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), a right-wing populist and Eurosceptic party, in the first half of the 2010s, and returned to frontline politics as leader of the Brexit Party during the Brexit process after the 2016 EU membership referendum , which had been called partly in response to UKIP's influence. The party won 29 seats at
6380-481: The United States, right-wing populism is frequently aligned with evangelical Christianity , segregationism , nationalism , nativism anti-intellectualism and anti-Semitism . The Republican Party (United States) , particularly supporters of Donald Trump, includes right-wing populist factions. Moore (1996) argues that "populist opposition to the growing power of political, economic, and cultural elites" helped shape "conservative and right-wing movements" since
6496-463: The United States, supporting Ukraine in response to the Russian invasion of the country . He is also distancing Argentina from geopolitical ties with China. He has been variously described as far right, far-right populist, right-wing libertarian, ultraconservative , and ultra-liberal . A philosophical anarcho-capitalist who is for practical purposes a minarchist , Milei advocates minimal government, focusing on justice and security, with
6612-495: The Vice-Presidential nominee of the Populist Party in 1896 and presidential nominee in 1900, eventually embraced white supremacy and anti-Semitism . William Jennings Bryan, the 1896 Populist presidential nominee, was socially and theologically conservative, supporting creationism, Prohibition and other aspects of Christian fundamentalism. Bradley J. Longfield posits Bryan was a "theologically conservative Social Gospeler ". An article by National Public Radio 's Ron Elving likens
6728-491: The West's current economic settlement. They are suspicious of "cosmopolitan and globalizing agendas". Populist parties use crises in their domestic governments to enhance anti-globalist reactions; these include refrainment towards trade and anti-immigration policies. The support for these ideologies commonly comes from people whose employment might have low occupational mobility. This makes them more likely to develop an anti-immigrant and anti-globalization mentality that aligns with
6844-427: The West. [...] [Their] 'direct' conception of democracy differs from the 'liberal' one that has flourished across the West following the defeat of fascism and which has gradually become more elitist in character." Furthermore, national populists question what they call the "erosion of the nation-state", "hyper ethnic change" and the "capacity to rapidly absorb [high] rates of immigration", the "highly unequal societies" of
6960-406: The Western world is generally associated with ideologies such as anti-environmentalism , anti-globalization , nativism , and protectionism . In Europe, the term is often used to describe groups, politicians, and political parties generally known for their opposition to immigration , especially from the Muslim world , and for Euroscepticism . Right-wing populists may support expanding
7076-509: The anti-parliamentarian Ligue des Patriotes , led by Boulanger , Déroulède , and Barrès , called for a "plebiscitary republic", with the president elected by universal suffrage , and the popular will expressed not through elected representatives (the "corrupted elites"), but rather via "legislative plebiscites", another name for referendums. It also evolved to antisemitism after the Dreyfus affair (1894). Modern national populism—what Pierro Ignazi called "post-industrial parties" —emerged in
SECTION 60
#17327807031517192-416: The collective, the people and the nation. Individuals are thus constituted as a mass who share a single common significant categorical quality – they are nationals, members of the nation. ... In this conception, the individual and the nation are inextricably intertwined, the line between them blurred. As suggested by philosophers of fascism ... the state is realized in the people and the people are realized in
7308-721: The country. Right-wing populism is growing in Hungary at present because its origins can be found in the post-communist era, particularly in the economic and political chaos of the 1990s. In the early 2000s, the Jobbik Party , formally known as the Movement for a Better Hungary, emerged and rapidly became the country's most successful far-right political party. Jobbik, which was founded in 2003, exploited anti-Semitic and anti-Roma feelings to rally support, as well as strong nationalist rhetoric and hostility to capitalism and liberalism. The party's successful use of internet channels to attract and mobilize young people resulted in tremendous popularity and influence. Viktor Orbán 's Fidesz Party
7424-414: The culture and interests of the nation, and promise to give voice to a people who feel that they have been neglected, even held in contempt, by distant and often corrupt elites." They are part of a "growing revolt against mainstream politics and liberal values. This challenge is in general not anti-democratic. Rather, national populists are opposed to certain aspects of liberal democracy as it has evolved in
7540-486: The day of the announcement, Nigel Farage , who had been an independent MEP since his departure from UKIP in early December 2018, said that the party was Blaiklock's idea, but that she had acted with his full support. On 8 February 2019, Farage stated he would stand as a candidate for the party in any potential future European Parliament elections contested in the United Kingdom. MEPs Steven Woolfe and Nathan Gill , also formerly of UKIP, stated that they would also stand for
7656-433: The departure from the party's group in the Senedd of both Jones's and David Rowlands. They formed a new members group, the Independent Alliance for Reform , which sought to reform rather than abolish the Senedd. The remaining Brexit Party Senedd group member, Mark Reckless, left to join the Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party . The Brexit Party contested the 2021 Senedd election on a platform of ending lockdowns, investing in
7772-427: The digital era thanks to widely accessible means of content production and diffusion. These media and communication developments in the context of specific historical shifts in immigration and cultural politics have led to the association of right-wing populism with post-truth politics . German and French right-wing populism can be traced back to the period 1870–1900 in the aftermath of the Franco-Prussian War , with
7888-414: The dominant political force in the Republican Party in the United States since the 2010s. Although extreme right-wing movements in the United States (where they are normally referred to as the " radical right ") are usually characterized as separate entities, some writers consider them to be a part of a broader, right-wing populist phenomenon. American businessman and media personality Donald Trump won
8004-631: The early 1970s: the Progress Party , the ancestor of the Danish People's Party , and Anders Lange's Party in Norway. A new wave of right-wing populism arose after the September 11 attacks . "Neo-populists" are nationalist and Islamophobic politicians who aspire "to be the champions of freedoms for minorities (gays, Jews, women) against the Arab-Muslim masses"; a trend first embodied by the Dutch Pim Fortuyn List and later followed by Geert Wilders ' Party for Freedom and Jean Marie and his daughter Marine Le Pen 's National Rally . According to Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg , those parties are not
8120-408: The economic policies of former British prime minister Margaret Thatcher and called her "a great leader". In Brazil, right-wing populism began to rise roughly around the time Dilma Rousseff won the 2014 presidential election . In the Brazilian general election of 2014 , Levy Fidelix, from the Brazilian Labour Renewal Party , presented himself with a conservative speech and, according to him,
8236-447: The former Belgian Vlaams Blok (which would include certain aspects of traditional extreme right parties), the Danish Progress Party , the Norwegian Progress Party and the Freedom Party of Austria in the second category. Right-wing populist parties in the English-speaking world include the UK Independence Party and Australia's One Nation . The U.S. Republican Party , Conservative Party of Canada , Conservative Party (UK) and
8352-859: The historical right and post-industrial parties that had developed independently. He placed the British National Party , the National Democratic Party of Germany , the German People's Union , and the former Dutch Centre Party in the first category, whose prototype would be the disbanded Italian Social Movement . In contrast, he placed the French National Front , the German Republicans , the Dutch Centre Democrats ,
8468-481: The homogeneous nation-state". Mudde further argues that "while nativism could include racist arguments, it can also be non-racist (including and excluding on the basis of culture or even religion)", and that the term nativism does not reduce the parties to mere single-issue parties, such as the term "anti-immigrant" does. In the maximum definition, to nativism is added authoritarianism—an attitude, not necessarily anti-democratic or autocratic, to prefer " law and order " and
8584-443: The ideals of the populist party. Jean-Yves Camus and Nicolas Lebourg see "national populism" as an attempt to combine the socio-economical values of the left and political values of the right and the support for a referendary republic that would bypass traditional political divisions and institutions as they aim for the unity of the political (the demos ), ethnic (the ethnos ) and social (the working class ) interpretations of
8700-421: The ideologies, politics, and practices of right-wing populism and Extreme Right Wing Parties." Similarly, historian Rick Shenkman describes the ideology presented by right-wing populism as "a deadly mix of xenophobia, racism, and authoritarianism." Tamir Bar-On also concluded in 2018 that the literature generally places "nativism" or "ethnic nationalism" as the core concept of the ideology, which "implicitly posits
8816-637: The impeachment of President Rousseff . Temer held 3% approval ratings in October 2017, facing a corruption scandal after accusations of obstructing justice and racketeering against him. He managed to avoid trial thanks to the support of the right-wing parties in the National Congress of Brazil . On the other hand, President of the Senate Renan Calheiros , acknowledged as one of the key figures behind Rousseff's destitution and
8932-713: The leader of both the Conservative Party and the Official Opposition . Some journalists have compared Poilievre to American Republican populists such as Donald Trump and Ted Cruz , however many journalists have dismissed these comparisons due to Poilievre's pro-choice, pro-immigration, and pro-same-sex marriage positions. In the 2018 political campaign , both Evangelical Christian candidate Fabricio Alvarado Muñoz and right-wing anti-establishment candidate Juan Diego Castro Fernández were described as examples of right-wing populists. In
9048-467: The legal concept of the nation as a polity, with the people as its members; in general, it rejects the rule of law. All of these attributes, as well as its favoring of strong political leadership, suggest right-wing populism's fascist leanings. Historian Federico Finchelstein defines populism as a form of authoritarian democracy while fascism is an ultraviolent dictatorship. According to Roger Eatwell and Matthew Goodwin , "National populists prioritize
9164-416: The local government level, with most of its local councillors having defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK. Following Farage's resumption of the leadership during the 2024 general election , there was a sharp increase in support for the party. In the election it was the third largest party by popular vote, with 14.3 per cent of the vote. Founded in November 2018 as the Brexit Party , advocating
9280-538: The mainstream Liberal-National Coalition ., and Katter's Australian Party , led by Queensland MP Bob Katter . Furthermore, the main center-right party the Coalition has certain members belonging to the right-wing populist faction known as National Right including the current opposition leader Peter Dutton . The wave of refugees caused by the Syrian crisis has caused a wave of anti-immigration sentiment on
9396-591: The nascence of two different trends in Germany and France: the Völkisch movement and Boulangism . Völkischen represented a romantic nationalist , racialist , and from the 1900s, antisemitic tendency in German society, as they idealized a bio-mystical "original nation" that still could be found in their views in the rural regions, a form of "primitive democracy freely subjected to their natural elites". In France,
9512-726: The number had increased to 14, all being members of the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (EFDD) group in the European Parliament. Only three of these incumbent MEPs − Farage, Gill and Bullock − were selected to stand for the Brexit Party in the 2019 election, which took place on 23 May 2019. 29 Brexit Party MEPs were elected to the European Parliament , including Richard Tice and former Conservative MP Ann Widdecombe , while Nigel Farage , Nathan Gill and Jonathan Bullock kept their seats. BBC News described
9628-412: The only right-wing candidate. He spoke for traditional family values and opposed abortion, legalization of marijuana, and same-sex marriage and proposed that homosexual individuals be treated far away from the good citizens' and workers' families. In the first round of the general election, Fidelix received 446,878 votes, representing 0.43% of the popular vote. Fidelix ranked 7th out of 11 candidates. In
9744-491: The party and became Reform UK's first local representatives in Scotland. The British politics professor Matthew Goodwin described the party as national populists, while Goodwin and others have also described the Brexit Party as neoliberal , populist , right-wing populist , right-wing nationalist , and radical right . Farage said in May 2024 that Reform UK is becoming a "brand new Conservative movement". In January 2024,
9860-468: The party as seeking to "promote and encourage those who aspire to improve their personal situation and those who seek to be self-reliant, whilst providing protection for those genuinely in need; favour the ability of individuals to make decisions in respect of themselves; seek to diminish the role of the State; lower the burden of taxation on individuals and businesses." SDP politician Patrick O'Flynn , who
9976-608: The party could lead to more than 30 additional seat losses for the Conservative Party. In Northern Ireland, in March 2024, the party formed an electoral pact with the Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV), in which the two parties would stand mutually agreed candidates there. In April 2024, it was reported that the Reform Party had expelled a number of prospective candidates for making embarrassing public statements. Richard Tice said that "every party has their share frankly of muppets and morons". In March, Beau Dade,
10092-554: The party did not nominate a candidate for London Mayor after making a pact with Reclaim Party leader and actor Laurence Fox . Fox finished sixth in the mayoral election with less than 2% of the votes. The party failed to win any seats above local level in the 2021 elections in May, and lost their deposit in the Hartlepool by-election . In the Senedd election , the party fielded a full slate of candidates in every constituency and on
10208-602: The party did not want to be represented by someone with his views. Two parliamentary candidates were dropped in April 2024 for comments made on social media in 2019–21. Jonathan Kay, who was set to stand in South Ribble , had tweeted in 2019 that the average IQ of Africans was "among the lowest in the world". Mick Greenhough, who was to stand in Orpington , tweeted in 2019 that, "Most Jews are reasonable people. Their problem
10324-653: The party in Scotland and was appointed leader there. Ballantyne continued to sit with the party until the 2021 Scottish Parliament election in May, when she lost her seat to a candidate from the Scottish Conservatives . She resigned as the party's leader in Scotland in February 2022. As of March 2024, two thirds of Reform UK's local councillors were elected for the Conservative Party who defected over to Reform UK. In October 2024, Farage called on Conservative Party councillors to join Reform UK, saying that he
10440-407: The party its first MP. He was re-elected in the 2024 general election and joined by Nigel Farage , Richard Tice , Rupert Lowe , and James McMurdock , representing Clacton , Boston and Skegness , Great Yarmouth , and South Basildon and East Thurrock respectively. In February 2019, nine MEPs, who had left UKIP in opposition to Gerard Batten 's leadership, joined the party; by mid-April 2019,
10556-464: The party's leader Nigel Farage announced that, following Brexit, the party would change its name to the "Reform Party", and campaign for changes in the electoral system and structure of the House of Commons. In July 2020, Italexit , a Eurosceptic party inspired by the Brexit Party, was founded in Italy. In November 2020, Farage and Tice announced that they had applied to the Electoral Commission to rename
10672-533: The party's treasurer Michael McGough was removed from his position after The Guardian uncovered antisemitic and homophobic social media comments he had posted in 2017. The party's lead aim was for the United Kingdom to leave the European Union, and then for Britain to trade internationally on World Trade Organization terms. In April 2019, Farage said that there was "no difference between the Brexit party and UKIP in terms of policy, [but] in terms of personnel, there's
10788-714: The party, though Woolfe was subsequently not permitted to do so. On 1 February 2019, Blaiklock told The Daily Telegraph the party had raised £ 1 million in donations, and that over 200 people had come forward offering to stand for the Brexit Party at the May 2019 European Parliament election , if the United Kingdom had not left the European Union by then. Blaiklock resigned as party leader on 20 March 2019 over since-deleted anti-Islam messages on Twitter, including re-tweeting messages by far-right figures Mark Collett , Tommy Robinson and Joe Walsh , for which she apologised. Farage said that he would take over as leader, that Blaiklock
10904-572: The party. The media gave renewed attention to Reform UK in December 2022 during the cost-of-living crisis after Farage announced that it would stand a full slate of candidates at the next general election. Tice remained leader of the party. After some opinion polls indicated a modest increase in support for Reform UK, The Daily Telegraph described the party as a "threat on the Right" to the Conservative government of Prime Minister Rishi Sunak . On
11020-525: The party. It gained five MPs in England in the July 2024 general election , and its Northern Irish affiliate TUV gaining one seat in the form of Jim Allister . Following the election, on 11 July, the multi-millionaire businessman Zia Yusuf replaced the multi-millionaire businessman Richard Tice as chairman of the party, with Tice, now an MP, replacing Ben Habib as deputy leader. The party plans to stand in
11136-465: The past ... and without question it could happen in the future. This morphing of populism back into fascism is always a possibility, but it is very uncommon, and when it does happen, and populism becomes fully antidemocratic, it is no longer populism. Erik Berggren and Andres Neergard wrote in 2015 that "[m]ost researchers agree [...] that xenophobia , anti-immigration sentiments , nativism , ethno-nationalism are, in different ways, central elements in
11252-573: The populism of Bryan to the later right-wing populism of Trump. In 2010, Rasmussen and Schoen characterized the Tea Party movement as "a right-wing anti-systemic populist movement". They added: "Today our country is in the midst of a...new populist revolt that has emerged overwhelmingly from the right – manifesting itself as the Tea Party movement". In 2010, David Barstow wrote in The New York Times : "The Tea Party movement has become
11368-549: The prospective candidate in South Swindon , was dismissed by the party after it emerged that he had written an article saying, "The end game is to be in a position where it is possible to re-migrate hundreds of thousands – perhaps millions – of people back to their countries of origin... This is just one more unfortunate horror which the leftists and globalists and traitors have forced upon us." A spokesman for Reform UK said that it had "acted quickly" in sacking Dade, and that
11484-540: The regional lists, but picked up just 1.6% of the constituency vote (7th place) and 1.1% of the regional list votes (8th place). In the Scottish Parliament election , no constituency candidates were fielded and the party received only 5,793 list votes across the whole country. In the London Assembly election , none of their constituency candidates were elected and the party finished tenth on the London-wide list with 25,009 votes. In October 2022, Reform UK and
11600-504: The second round, Fidelix supported candidate Aécio Neves . In addition, according to the political analyst of the Inter-Union Department of Parliamentary Advice, Antônio Augusto de Queiroz, the National Congress elected in 2014 may be considered the most conservative since the "re-democratization" movement, noting an increase in the number of parliamentarians linked to more conservative segments, such as ruralists ,
11716-450: The state. It is a symbiotic relation. Individuals are realized in their manifestation of the national characteristics and by their participation in the national mission. In so doing, individuals are at once defined and valued, recognized and glorified. (p.12) According to Rosenberg, right-wing populism accepts the primacy of "the people", but rejects liberal democracy's protection of the rights of minorities, and favors ethno-nationalism over
11832-472: The submission to authority —and populism —a "thin-centered ideology" that considers society to be ultimately separated into two homogeneous and antagonistic groups, "the pure people" versus "the corrupt elite", and which argues that politics should be an expression of the "general will of the people", regardless of human rights or constitutional guarantees. Cas Mudde and Cristóbal Rovira Kaltwasser reiterated in 2017 that within European right-wing populism, there
11948-409: The use of nationalism as a core ideology of right-wing populism on the ground that there are also purely "civic" or "liberal" forms of nationalism, preferring instead the term " nativism ": a xenophobic form of nationalism asserting that "states should be inhabited exclusively by members of the native group ('the nation'), and that non-native elements (persons and ideas) are fundamentally threatening to
12064-597: The weekend of 7 and 8 October 2023, Reform UK held its party conference in London with 1,100 attendees. On 20 October 2023, Richard Tice confirmed that Reform UK would stand in Conservative seats at the 2024 general election , and by January 2024, the party was polling around 10% of the popular vote. It was suggested that Reform UK would play the role of spoiler party for the Conservatives, since it attracted former Tory voters. The Guardian speculated that votes for
12180-399: The will of the people, renders it clear for everyone else and executes accordingly. Thus distinctions between the leadership, the people as a whole and individuals are blurred as their will is joined in a single purpose. (p.5) ... In this political cultural conception, individuals have a secondary and somewhat derivative status. They are rendered meaningful and valued insofar as they are part of
12296-607: The words of sociologist Jens Rydgren , "mobilize on xenophobic and racist public opinions without being stigmatized as racists." Sociologist Hande Eslen-Ziya argues that right-wing populist movements rely on "troll science", namely "(distorted) scientific arguments moulded into populist discourse" that creates an alternative narrative. In addition to rhetorical methods, right-wing populist movements have also flourished by using tools of digital media, including websites and newsletters, social media groups and pages, as well as Youtube channels and messaging chat groups. While immigration
12412-399: The years, he has continued to rely on a tried-and-tested populist discourse that granted him political success in the first place, to continue the advancement of his regime and to promote his election campaigns." Javier Milei , the incumbent president of Argentina, is known for his flamboyant personality, distinctive personal style, and strong media presence. Milei's views distinguish him in
12528-403: Was "never intended to be the long-term leader" and that the party "is at the moment a virtual party – it's a website". On the party's launch on 12 April, asked about issues with Blaiklock, Farage said: "I set the party up, she was the administrator that got it set up. We had a couple of teething problems, yes, but are we going to be deeply intolerant of all forms of intolerance? Yes." In April 2019,
12644-548: Was announced on 4 June 2019: a proposition to transform British Steel into a partly worker-owned company, in what was described as "a hybrid of Conservative and Labour policy". The party also supported cutting Britain's foreign aid budget, scrapping the proposed HS2 project and introducing free WiFi on all British public transport. The party also said it would scrap all interest paid on student tuition fees, reimburse graduates for historic interest payments made on their loans, and pledged to abolish inheritance tax . In July 2019,
12760-457: Was appointed as deputy leader of the party on 11 March 2021. On 26 March 2021, it was announced that former Brexit Party MEP Nathan Gill had become the Leader of Reform UK Wales. In 2021, Reform UK announced its intention to field a full slate of candidates in the Senedd , Scottish Parliament and London Assembly elections with leader Richard Tice standing for election in the latter. However,
12876-604: Was approved by the Electoral Commission. In 2021, Reform UK gained representation in the Scottish Parliament when former Conservative and then independent MSP Michelle Ballantyne joined the party and was named Reform UK's leader in Holyrood. She lost her and the party's only seat in Scotland in the 2021 Scottish Parliament election , and resigned as the party's leader in Scotland in February 2022. Farage stepped down as leader in March 2021, being replaced by party chairman Richard Tice . Former North West England MEP David Bull
12992-601: Was centered on opposition to crime, political corruption, and queer identity, and support for tax cuts, militarism , catholicity , and evangelicalism . Canada has a history of right-wing populist protest parties and politicians, most notably in Western Canada, partly due to the idea of Western alienation . The highly successful Social Credit Party of Canada consistently won seats in British Columbia , Alberta, and Saskatchewan but fell into obscurity by
13108-452: Was characterized as right-wing populist. The ideology of Trump's former Chief Strategist, Steve Bannon , has also been described as such. Donald Trump's policies and rhetoric as have been frequently described as right-wing populist by academics and political commentators. Right-wing populism has also been represented by Pauline Hanson's One Nation , led by Pauline Hanson , Senator for Queensland and typically preferences votes to
13224-452: Was contacting over a thousand of them and that "a huge number of them genuinely agree with us and what we stand for". Reform won a by-election in the Marton ward of Blackpool Council on 3 October 2024, with its vote share rising from 9.5% secured at the last election in 2023 to 38.8% In October 2024 two Scottish Conservative Party councillors serving on Aberdeenshire Council defected to
13340-556: Was elected as a UKIP MEP under Farage's leadership and supported the Brexit Party in the 2019 European elections, commented on the constitution's description of the party as following classical liberalism and described them as having a Thatcherite ideological core. James Glancy , one of the party's MEPs, has compared the party to the Referendum Party , being a "united and diverse group of people from different political backgrounds". The party's first non-Brexit-related policy
13456-596: Was reported that senior members of the party were divided about supporters of the far-right activist Tommy Robinson , with two of party's parliamentary candidates expressing sympathy for some of the supporters of Robinson who took part in August's anti-immigration protests, in the face of objections from Tice and Farage. Lee Anderson , elected as the Conservative Party MP for Ashfield in the 2019 general election , defected to Reform UK in March 2024, giving
#150849