The rise of the far right and Reform UK make this a dangerous moment for the country, according to the anti-extremism group. But all is not lost if under pressure communities have ways to reconnect and make their voices heard. MATTHEW BROWN reports.
The anti-extremism organisation, Hope not Hate, is calling for help with its ongoing campaigns to counter the rise of Reform UK and the far right in communities up and down the country.
The group is asking supporters for donations to its End of Year Appeal as it seeks to raise £20,000 towards vital grassroots work with local organisations in areas most at risk from far right influence.
Hope not Hate chief executive Nick Lowles reacted to the news that Reform had received a record breaking £9 million donation last week by launching a fund raising campaign to expand its work and a ‘Never Nigel’ pledge to galvanise opposition.
“While the far right is attracting huge sums from wealthy backers, the communities they claim to speak for are struggling,” said Lowles. “Youth clubs have closed. Services have been cut. People feel forgotten.
“That is exactly why our work matters. This year thousands joined free events in Bradford, Knowsley and Wigan. Families came together, people reconnected, and local organisers rebuilt their confidence.”
The financial support helps pay for organisers, local events and “the patient relationship-building work that makes people feel seen again”, said Lowles. “It lets us show up in the towns where people are feeling the most pressure and where hope is in short supply.”
Fragile coalition
Recent research by the group has revealed that a Reform government is less inevitable than polling suggests as its likely voters are “a fragile coalition” with far more mixed views on immigration than headlines would have us believe. Earlier this year it launched a Reform Watch newsletter for supporters who want to know the truth about Nigel Farage’s party.
“People are worried about immigration for different reasons and they want solutions that help their communities,” said Hope not Hate’s Anki.
“Some are driven by the cost of living. Some care about nature and local fairness. Others focus on workers’ rights and economic inequality. Many feel politically abandoned and have turned to Reform out of frustration, not ideology.
“When politicians try to mimic Reform to win them back, it fails. It strengthens Farage, it punishes vulnerable people, and it sidelines those who are already working hard to hold their communities together.”
The solution lies in a fair economy, decent services and a sense that politicians are listening again, says the group. “These voters are not lost. They want stability and a future where things work.”
Farage’s claim that Britain is broken beyond repair is a sign that he believes he’s on the brink of power, added Lowles. But “people aren’t turning to him because they’ve turned on their neighbours. They’re turning to him because they feel abandoned. They want safety, stability and a fair shot. They want a country that works again.”
Dangerous moment
“I am not blind to the problems people face,” he added. “People are not imagining it. Life has become harder. Trust has collapsed. And people feel shut out of politics at every level. Nearly 70% say politicians don’t listen to them and among Reform supporters it’s even higher.
“That’s exactly what makes this moment dangerous. When people feel forgotten and the only voices they hear are the loudest and angriest, the ground shifts fast. This has been evident in 2025 and it’s why our work cannot slip.”
This year, Hope not Hate has expanded its presence in communities most susceptible to the far right, listening and building trust. “We support the groups holding their towns together,” said Lowles. “We give people a way to reconnect before resentment hardens into something far worse.”
Hope not Hate doesn’t “parachute in with ready-made solutions”, he added. “We support the people who are already doing the hard work on the ground – the volunteers keeping youth groups going; the local organisers trying to bring neighbours together; the small community groups holding things together when resources are thin.
“In 2026 we’ll be up against a far right that’s better funded, more confident and more organised than at any point in the last decade. Reform UK is building momentum in towns that already feel left behind, and if we don’t offer them something better now, we’ll pay the price later.”
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Click here to donate to HOPE not Hate’s End of Year Appeal.
Click here to take the ‘Never Nigel’ pledge.
More about HOPE not Hate is here.
