The far-right poses its biggest political threat since World War II. The government must act.
Plus: The Lead Untangles the leasehold reforms + the view from Kyiv on Farage + BP pulls plug on huge green jobs scheme in Teesside
If you felt that 2024 was a dark year for Britain, you’re not alone.
Despite returning a centre-left government after fourteen years of Conservative rule, the country was gripped by a surge in fascism, riots, and escalating racialised rhetoric against immigrants and people of colour.
Hard-right challenger party Reform UK has surged in the polls. The US president’s closest ally, Elon Musk, has transformed X, formerly Twitter, into a hub for far-right propaganda—amplifying extremists, spreading disinformation, and even reportedly funding Tommy Robinson’s legal battles. And in schools across the country, misogynistic influencers like Andrew Tate are gaining alarming traction among young men.
On Thursday, the UK’s leading anti-fascist organisation, HOPE Not Hate, released its annual State of Hate report, warning that the far-right poses its greatest political threat to Britain since the Second World War. That evening, it also hosted a panel discussion on the rise of the far-right in the UK over the past year, which I had the great privilege to chair.
The report paints a bleak picture. HOPE Not Hate’s polling of 23,000 people found a direct correlation between pessimism about the future and support for Reform UK. The party – which won 4.2 million votes – in the 2024 General Election, has only grown in popularity, frequently leading opinion polls. If an election were held today, Reform UK could win up to 169 seats. The report also finds that Nigel Farage is now the most popular political leader in the UK. With membership continuing to surge, Reform UK is becoming more professional.
But the problem goes beyond party politics. The report highlights a deepening disillusionment with democracy itself. A staggering 40 per cent of Britons now support a leader who could override Parliament to take decisive action. 68 per cent believe politicians don’t listen to people like them, while only 9 per cent feel heard. The more pessimistic people are about their own lives, the more likely they are to support Reform UK, choosing to believe easy, populist answers about how multiculturalism is failing, and immigration is to blame.
Far-right terrorism remains a pressing concern. In 2024 alone, 22 individuals were convicted under terrorism legislation. A new trend is emerging: violent young extremists drawing from multiple ideologies to justify acts of terror. This was drawn into acute focus when the UK experienced the worst race riots in a century in 2024, triggered by the murder of three young girls in Southport by 18-year-old Axel Rudakubana. The riots, which across the country, were fuelled by far-right disinformation—including false claims that authorities were covering up the attacker’s motives. Despite Rudakubana not being Muslim, far-right groups continue to falsely label him as such.
Meanwhile, former English Defence League leader Tommy Robinson remains Britain’s most influential far-right activist outside of Reform UK. His reach is growing. In July 2024, he led the largest far-right protest in UK history. His X account boasts over a million followers, with posts reaching millions. Even more chillingly, Robinson—currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court—is set for release this summer, this time with financial backing from Musk, the richest man in the world.
As a journalist, I was particularly struck by the report’s analysis of the expanding radical-right media ecosystem. GB News is singled out as a mouthpiece for Reform UK, while an increasing number of right-wing activists are launching their own media outlets, funded through donations and subscriptions. This growing network creates an echo chamber that normalises extremism.
Politicians cannot be absolved of responsibility, either. While hostility toward “the other” has long existed within the Conservative Party, HNH notes worrying signs within Labour too. Immigration is consistently framed as a problem to be controlled. During a leaders’ debate, Keir Starmer accused Rishi Sunak of being “the most liberal prime minister we’ve ever had on immigration,” and since taking government the party has presided over harsh deportation videos and harmful policies around citizenship for asylum seekers. “The impact of this has been to drag the conversation further rightwards”, the report notes.
So, what can be done? Pessimism is fuelling the far right’s rise—and so far, Labour has done little to counter it. Upon taking office, the party warned that things would get worse before they got better. But Labour was elected on a mandate for change, not managerialism. They carried their electoral “ming vase” cautiously across the floor, head down, eyes fixed, avoiding radical commitments on taxation or inequality.
Breaking election promises with little justification would hardly rebuild public trust. But Labour now has a rare opportunity to declare, “Events, dear boy, events,” and reset the political landscape. The shifting international order provides the perfect justification to rethink rigid fiscal rules and introduce wealth and corporation taxes to strengthen domestic resilience. Security is not just about military defence—it relies on strong, stable communities where people feel secure, valued, and prosperous. Doubling down on right-wing immigration rhetoric while neglecting material conditions will only drive more people toward extremism.
Instead, Labour must be bold. Lift children out of poverty. Make work pay so that hard work is genuinely rewarded. Invest—substantially—in infrastructure and public services so people can take pride in their communities, access vital services, and see their local economies thrive. These are not just economic policies; they are political defences against the far-right surge.
If Labour hesitates, they may find that the political centre ground they sought to protect has shifted irreversibly to the extreme right. The year ahead brings enormous risks—a second Trump presidency, global instability, and the continued rise of the far-right across Europe and the UK. But it also brings an opportunity: to unify the nation against these threats and to finally deliver the radical change that voters are crying out for.
You can see more from us on tracking the rise of the new far-right, from Kevin Gopal’s writing inside the far-right’s rise in Burnley and Lancashire, to going behind the scenes with the documentary Undercover which exposed the tactics and increased online hate to Diyora Shadijanova unpicking the far-right’s grooming gangs obsession. To do this research, and writing, then consider upgrading your support for The Lead to a paid subscription to ensure we can keep a watching brief on the far-right.
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And it would be remiss of us not to finish with a reminder it is International Women’s Day. As a progressive publication we are proud of having two fantastic female editors leading from the front - in Natalie Morris (freshly returned from maternity leave) and Zoë Grünewald (our fearless Westminster Editor). On balance we have more women writing for The Lead than men, something we aim to keep that way and giving female journalists a platform and opportunity to write - while many mainstream publications remain weighted in favour of men.
We recommend reading Zoe’s in-depth look at how the family court system is destroying families (and this vital accompanying feature by Scarlet Hannington on how vulnerable mothers are being failed). And how injustice remains, as Natalie asks why black women have the lowest IVF success rates on the NHS.
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We hope you have a great weekend and we’ll be back in your inbox on Tuesday with our latest long-read feature.
Ed, Zoe, Luke, Sophie, Natalie and The Lead team