The Rise of Reform UK: From Brexit to Immigration Control, Goodbye Labour

The May elections in England, Wales, and Scotland mark a new phase in British politics, leading to the rise of Reform UK. The traditional two-party system between the Labour and Conservative parties is now under threat from the rise of Reform UK.

The party is often described as populist and right-wing, as its leader has openly embraced these traits. Voters are hoping for improved economic conditions, incomes, public services, and a radical solution to the problems of livelihood.

The Rise of Reform UK: Hard Time for Labour

Britons are witnessing the rise of Reform UK. Among other defeats, the recent local elections saw Labour lose heavily across the Midlands and the north of England. The results are reminiscent of the 2016 Brexit vote. However, with the return of those electoral geographies, some of the old tropes have resurfaced, too.

Once again, England’s post-industrial towns are cast as the angry, reactionary counterparts to booming, progressive cities. Certainly, Reform UK is winning there now, but that is not the full picture. These places should not be chalked up as lost causes for the left.

Birth of Reform: Brexit and EU

Reform UK began its political life as the Brexit Party, founded in late 2018. The emergence came amid a heated national discussion for the UK to leave the EU. The founding of the party is directly linked to the dissatisfaction of the British people with the way the political elite handled Brexit, especially regarding the delays and concessions that arose in the process. It was founded by prominent Eurosceptic Nigel Farage, who was the leader of UKIP.

The Brexit Party soon began to build momentum by branding itself as a clear-cut, issue-specific party dedicated to breaking completely free from the EU. On the contrary, following the fact that Britain withdrew from the EU in January 2020, the party has achieved its initial purpose. As such, the role of the party as an organization centered on Brexit is less relevant, and hence, its leaders have started thinking about another political agenda.

New Reform: A New Rebranding and Expansion of Focus

Understanding the importance of being politically relevant after the Brexit event, there came a need for a change in strategy for the party. At the end of the year 2020, it changed its name to Reform UK and focused on matters related to reforms and other right-wing populist concerns. The party, under its new name, positioned itself against the government that had overstepped its power, especially during the time of the coronavirus pandemic.

Within that, Reform has emerged as the largest party in terms of vote share, and they’re a right-wing populist party. They’ve built up support by appealing to a mix of traditional conservative voters and traditional Labour voters. They present themselves to punish traditional political elites, which now means Labour, most of all. Moreover, Reform is no longer the only self-described anti-establishment challenger in English politics.

Reform UK began advocating for electoral reform and a restructuring of the civil service. It also supported immigration control and a reduction in government bureaucracy. Economically, it calls for low taxation, deregulation, and support for small businesses. The party also began to develop a skeptical stance toward climate change legislation. It opposed what it described as costly and impractical net-zero emissions targets.

Nigel Farage: A Leader for Reform UK

In March 2021, Nigel Farage quit from the party leadership position and passed it to Richard Tice, who was a businessman and Member of the European Parliament. As part of an effort to rejuvenate the party, Nigel Farage assumed leadership again in mid-2024, noting the stagnant nature of politics in the country and the inability of the Conservatives to tackle the main issues of concern among voters. The return of Farage to the party made it a focal point of media discussion. It attracted a lot of public attention, especially from voters discontented by increasing immigration, crime, and high costs of living.

Reform UK also had an important victory during the elections held that same year, after it won five parliamentary seats. This was quite an achievement for a relatively new political party looking to establish itself in a country that has a very strong two-party system.

Ideology of Reform: Liberalism, Conservatism, and Populism

The rise of Reform UK is due to its tenets. Reform UK sees itself as a movement toward renewal within the country and an agent of anti-establishment reforms. Its ideology is a blend of economic liberalism, social conservatism, and populism. The main tenets advocated by Reform include reduced immigration, more protection on the national frontier, and the creation of a more accountable public sector.

Regarding governance, Reform UK promotes the adoption of a constitution, the reform of the House of Lords, and proportional representation to supersede the current First Past the Post system. On other fronts, Reform UK also pushes for the renationalization of some public services, including utilities and railway systems, where privatization has failed.

Immigration: Key to The Rise of Reform UK

After all the noise about Reform slipping in the polls, and a Green surge, it turns out that the British electorate really, really cares about immigration. That’s the only sensible conclusion to draw from the local election results. With high turnout nationwide, including the highest ever for the Welsh Senedd (which Labour has conceded they’ve lost), Reform has surged, and Labour has collapsed.

According to analysis by Migration Watch, of those 200,000, fewer than 8,000 have been removed. The 192,000 who remain could cost as much as £65 billion over their lifetimes, Migration Watch says, based on a study of the long-term fiscal cost of asylum seekers carried out in the Netherlands. That would be enough to build 76 new hospitals or repair every pothole in England and Wales three times over.

Immigration: A Lever to Win

As of 2025, Reform UK is exploiting the disillusionment among the people with the ruling class of politicians, the fears about immigration, and the dissatisfaction with the slowness of reforms such as those related to housing, health care, and law enforcement. Nigel Farage acts as the leader of the Reform UK party. He is once again using his political sense to appeal to the electorate, as he has done many times before.

The upcoming local and possibly general elections are giving Reform UK an opportunity to act as a kingmaker or put pressure on the two main parties, especially the Conservative Party. How far Reform UK will go depends on whether it manages to gain enough support, create a policy platform, and remain cohesive as a political entity.