Lee Anderson’s defection to ReformUK may be a footnote to the matter,but the growing support for its hard right policies reflects the rise of a politics of bigotry and prejudice. In Hungary and Italy the far right is in Government and in Germany, France and Holland, Spain and now Portugal it is a real challenger for power.
ReformUK is polling around 10% or so, but remains below the 15%+ that its predecessor UKIP achieved and saw that party top UK elections for the European Parliament. The presence and threat of the far right is not new but a cost of living crisis, a never ending war in Ukraine and Culture Wars are fuelling its existence in the UK. Similar factors apply in much of the rest of Europe.
As the far right grows so existing centrist and right Governments accommodate to it. Hence Macron in France is warmongering while in the UK the Tories are still pursuing their racist Rwanda policy. Social democratic parties- in Government in Germany and likely to be in the UK are in turn accommodating to this. They may speak out against racism which is welcome but policies that fail to challenge market economics provide conditions in which it can grow.
This weekend sees UN Anti-Racism Day with marches organised by Stand Up To Racism and backed by the TUC, unions and campaigns in London, Glasgow and Cardiff. A major focus is on opposing Anti-Semitism and Islamophobia. Perhaps on this occasion James Cleverley and other Ministers will take the point
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