The best way to categorise how reform has garnered such a large and devoted support base is through the lens of populism. Various scholars, such as Ernesto Laclau, and Cas Mudde, set out a list of requirements that Reform encapsulates.
Firstly, populists attempt to define a homogeneous body, who are the true people of that country, what their culture is, and what they look like. In Reform’s case, this is white British nationals, especially the working class. Secondly, Populism is anti-establishmentarian, moving away from the status quo of usual politics, offering a new pathway to successful representation. Reform epitomises this technique, critiquing the two-party dominance of Labour and the Conservatives. Finally, it requires a charismatic leader, who, for Reform, is Nigel Farage. These factors are the foundation for a successful populist party.
Reform UK is by definition a populist party, claiming to represent the true popular will of the people, against the government that no longer represents the public. The environmental conditions of UK politics have opened the floodgates for parties like Reform to appeal to the previously secure support bases of other parties. Poor economic conditions, scandals and wars have ruined public trust in politics, and thus a new divisive party becomes very appealing.
Image: Member of the European Parliament Nigel Farage speaking at the 2017 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in National Harbour, Maryland taken by Gage Skidmore. https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Nigel_Farage_(33149364955).jpg
Populism as a political methodology has existed for a long time; in recent years, especially with the emergence of social media, it has become more prominent in modern politics. Figures like Farage and Trump use tactics to divide political landscapes, in turn rendering support for their party and discrediting their opponents.
Reform’s popularity is owed to its method of politics, polarised and divisive, accumulating a wide base of popular support merely from being different. This is not to say that Reform are the only UK populist party, the Green party could also be considered as such. However, Reform’s rhetoric is extremely harmful both to UK politics and to a large number of people who do not fit into their ‘perfect’ Britain.
Common Sense Journalism 
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