Reform UK Hope To Ride Into No. 10 On The Back Of One Issue – Immigration. They Don’t Want Us To See Why They Really Want Power

Reform UK is a populist party. Some believe that they are therefore about giving what the population want. That is not what populism means.

‘In reality, populism is a political approach that frames politics as a conflict between a virtuous, homogeneous “people” and a corrupt, self-serving “elite,” which it claims to exclusively represent. Rather than a coherent ideology, it is a style of rhetoric that simplifies complex issues into a direct, moral struggle. Populist leaders typically claim a monopoly on speaking for the ‘true’ public will, often bypassing established institutions like parliament or the judiciary, which they portray as part of the corrupt establishment. While it can give a powerful voice to marginalised grievances, in practice, its Manichean worldview (a reductionist position of only two sides with the complexities of reality ignored) tends to polarise societies, undermine democratic norms and pluralism, and can be employed by figures from either the left or right of the political spectrum. Those same figures who disparage parliament and the judiciary ironically seek to become part of it in government and thus betray the words they use to seek power.’

By utilising this Manichean approach, it hopes to attract those without the critical and intellectual skills to understand that all things, from science to society, are complex. The aim is to gain power and use this tactic entirely as a means to an end.

As we can see from this intervention on Question Time, when asked to focus on a wider spectrum of issues, populists are then trapped by their own agendas. They hope that the population will become so obsessed with one or a limited number of issues that they will forget that government is much more complex. It is the reason why Trump’s America is falling apart and why people like Putin rule with an iron fist. Democracy is sacrificed to the wealthy elites and corruption becomes normalised.

Big up the man in the checked shirt.

“The vast majority of people in this country live very happily and very peacefully together.”

“Tonight you will say everything is about immigration…. not everything in this country is the ‘problem of immigration’.”#bbcqt pic.twitter.com/QC7OeaKc0r

— Eddie Burfi (@EddieBurfi) October 9, 2025

When pressing any person who wants power, always ask them at the outset to tell the truth. Ask them to tell you what they would do, not what they are told to tell you they would do. An intelligent, principled person will be able to hold their ground. The rest will fall apart in front of your eyes.

The following is a helpful guide for those people who intend to ask serious questions of those members of Reform UK who seek to rule over us.

The Stated Aims vs. The Strategic Realities

To understand what members of Reform UK “really” want, it’s crucial to distinguish between their publicly stated goals and the underlying political strategies.

What They Say They Want (The Stated Aims):

Reform UK and Nigel Farage position themselves as the voice of the “ordinary people” against a corrupt and out-of-touch political establishment. Their stated goals, as per their manifesto and speeches, are:

1. Taking Back Control (a phrase they co-opted): They argue that leaving the EU was only the first step. The next is to wrestle control from the “Blob” – the civil service, the quangos, the “woke” corporations, and the “unaccountable” global bodies like the WHO.
2. A Low-Tax, Deregulated Economy: They advocate for significant tax cuts, particularly for individuals and businesses, and a bonfire of “red tape” they believe stifles British enterprise.
3. An Australian-Style Points-Based Immigration System: They claim the current system is broken and that they would reduce net migration to zero, focusing only on the skilled migrants the economy “needs.”
4. Sovereignty and National Self-Determination: They emphasise the supremacy of British law and Parliament over any international agreements or courts.

What They Really Want Power For (The Strategic Realities):

Their drive for power can be understood through several lenses beyond the manifesto:

1. To Disrupt and Replace the Conservative Party: Farage has long believed the Conservative Party betrayed its core principles on Europe and small government. His ultimate goal is not just to win seats but to destroy the current Tory party and replace it with a new, hard-right vehicle—Reform UK. Power for them means becoming the dominant voice of the British right.
2. To Shift the Overton Window: Even without winning over a majority of the population, they seek to pull the entire political debate to the right. By talking aggressively about immigration and sovereignty, they force the Conservatives (and to some extent, Labour) to adopt their language and policies to win back voters. In this sense, influence is a form of power.
3. To Capitalise on Grievance: Their power base is built on a sense of grievance—that a part of Britain (often older, less metropolitan, and feeling left behind by globalisation) has been ignored and disrespected by the political class. By championing this grievance, they build a loyal and passionate following.
4. The Personal Drive of Nigel Farage: Farage is a consummate campaigner and political insurgent. He thrives on being the outsider fighting the system. For him, power is about proving his political project’s validity and cementing his legacy as the man who reshaped British politics twice (first with UKIP/Brexit, now with Reform).

The “Moral Panic” on Immigration: What’s Behind It?

The constant focus on immigration is not an accidental or secondary issue; it is the central pillar of their strategy. To call it a “moral panic” is to describe its effect, but the reasons for its use are deeply strategic.

1. It’s a Powerful Political Weapon, Not a Side-Issue:
Immigration is the most potent issue they have to:

• Mobilise their core vote: For their base, it encapsulates feelings of lost control, cultural change, and economic pressure.
• Simplify a complex world: It provides a single, easily understood explanation for complex problems like pressure on the NHS, housing shortages, and stagnant wages. The argument is simple: “Too many people are coming, and that’s why public services are struggling.”
• Create a “Them vs. Us” Narrative: It clearly defines an “in-group” (the native-born British) and an “out-group” (immigrants), which is a classic and effective tool for populist political mobilisation.

What are they diverting attention away from?

A pragmatic analysis suggests that they are using immigration to divert attention from other things:

• The Lack of Detailed, Costed Policies: While they talk of massive tax cuts and increased spending, their economic plans are frequently criticised by experts as being unworkable or mathematically impossible. The immigration debate dominates headlines and talk shows, crowding out difficult questions about their fiscal plans.
• The Contradictions in their own Platform: They promise both stronger public services and much lower taxes. A relentless focus on immigration allows them to avoid explaining this contradiction in detail.
• The Inconvenient Truths of the Economy: The UK has an ageing population and has sectors (like health, social care, and agriculture) that are structurally dependent on immigrant labour. A serious debate about “zero net migration” would force them to explain which sectors would collapse or which taxes would rise astronomically to pay for training British workers. The “moral panic” avoids this sober economic analysis.
• Privatisation and Fossil Fuels: By studying who funds Reform UK, it is obvious to many that those people will have to be rewarded for their support. From selling off public services to turning back to fossil fuel corporations Reform UK uses migration to hide this policy goal.

Ultimately, those in Reform UK who seek power have emotionally charged the issue of immigration as a strategic tool.

This tool serves to mobilise their base, simplify complex issues (Manichean approach), and distract from the significant practical and economic holes and objectives in their wider policy platform. The “continuous moral panic” is not an accidental by-product of their campaign; it is the engine of it.