‘Calling Reform Racist Doesn’t Work’, Say Unions as Workers Indicate Support for Nigel Farage’s Party

With an internal Unison survey showing that 30% of its members are Reform supporters or Reform-curious, union leaders are changing tack. Josiah Mortimer reports

Trade unions are grappling with how to engage with the rise in support for Reform UK among their own members and workers more generally.

The rise of the far-right and Nigel Farage’s party was a topic at almost every fringe event and in discussions on motions at the Trades Union Congress (TUC) in Brighton in September.

General Secretary of the USDAW union of shopworkers, Joanne Thomas, told Byline Times: “We have to take the threat of Reform and the rise of the far-right incredibly seriously because we’ve seen some of the ramifications with regards to hate speech stirring up communities by driving that agenda of division.”