Reform UK, the right-wing populist party fronted by Nigel Farage, has often positioned itself as a champion of free speech and national identity. However, recent revelations about its candidate vetting process raise serious concerns about its ideological trajectory. The appointment of Jack Aaron, a former general election candidate who praised Adolf Hitler’s ability to inspire, defended Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, and downplayed the brutality of Bashar al-Assad, to oversee the party’s candidate selection process is particularly alarming. Aaron’s past statements, combined with Reform UK’s broader rhetoric, suggest a disturbing flirtation with fascist ideas and tactics.
A Party in Crisis: Reform UK’s Troubling Candidate Selection
The appointment of Aaron as head of candidate vetting comes after a disastrous general election cycle in which Reform UK was forced to sack over 100 candidates due to offensive, racist, and extremist remarks. Farage himself admitted the party had failed in its initial vetting process and pledged to introduce rigorous screening procedures. Yet, rather than demonstrating a commitment to responsible candidate selection, the decision to place Aaron in charge highlights Reform UK’s failure to distance itself from extremist elements.
Aaron’s comments regarding Hitler, Putin, and Assad illustrate a deeply troubling worldview. In 2022, he described Hitler as “brilliant in using Fe+Ni [socionics personality traits] to inspire people into action.” The idea that Hitler’s ability to inspire should be analysed as a psychological strength rather than condemned as a tool of mass manipulation and genocide is, at best, morally vacuous and, at worst, an implicit endorsement of fascist tactics.
Similarly, Aaron’s claims that Putin’s use of force in Ukraine was “legitimate” and that Assad was “gentle by nature” contradict well-documented evidence of war crimes, authoritarian oppression, and mass killings under both regimes. These statements are not simply personal opinions; they reflect a broader pattern of rehabilitating and normalising authoritarianism—an approach that mirrors historical fascist movements.
The Fascist Playbook: Reform UK’s Echoes of the Past
Fascism is not merely defined by military aggression or racial supremacy but by a political culture that glorifies strength, dismisses democratic norms, and fosters a cult of personality around its leaders. Reform UK’s rhetoric bears striking similarities to this pattern:
- The Cult of Leadership – Like fascist movements of the past, Reform UK heavily relies on the persona of Nigel Farage. His populist appeal and ability to stir public anger against elites and immigrants mirror the tactics used by fascist leaders to consolidate support.
- Scapegoating Minorities – The party’s stance on immigration, as reflected in Aaron’s own statements, fosters division. His assertion that Britain must welcome immigrants who assimilate but reject those who form “ghettoes of counter-culture” echoes the rhetoric used by fascist leaders to justify persecution and social exclusion.
- Rewriting History and Justifying Authoritarianism – The rehabilitation of figures like Hitler, Putin, and Assad under the guise of psychological analysis is a dangerous step toward historical revisionism. Downplaying their brutality or portraying them as misunderstood figures is a tactic frequently used by fascist sympathisers to sow doubt and weaken opposition to authoritarianism.
- The Control of Information – Aaron’s new role involves scouring candidates’ social media and advising them on what to delete. This echoes historical fascist regimes’ censorship tactics, where problematic viewpoints were concealed to maintain a veneer of respectability while allowing extreme ideologies to fester beneath the surface.
Reform UK’s Future: A Dangerous Path?
Despite Reform UK’s insistence that Aaron’s appointment does not reflect the party’s values, his past statements are symptomatic of a wider problem. The party’s failure to distance itself from authoritarian sympathisers, its inflammatory rhetoric, and its historical revisionism suggest that it is treading a dangerous path—one that aligns uncomfortably with the tactics and ideology of past fascist movements.
Labour MP Josh Simons encapsulated the absurdity of the situation when he remarked, “If you can’t vet your vetter, you can’t run the country.” This is more than a party in chaos; it is a party that appears willing to entertain and empower individuals who admire and justify some of the most brutal figures in modern history.
Reform UK may not openly embrace fascism, but its trajectory, rhetoric, and personnel choices suggest it is playing with fire. In doing so, it risks becoming a platform for extremism under the guise of populism; a danger that British democracy cannot afford to ignore.
