Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has escalated his inflammatory rhetoric by alleging that Islamist groups have deeply penetrated Britain’s core institutions. During a Tuesday speech launching his party’s Jewish Alliance group, Farage claimed unnamed ‘senior intelligence sources’ informed him the Muslim Brotherhood had infiltrated Britain’s political system, education establishments, and police forces.
The right-wing politician, whose party currently dominates in polls, described what he perceived as ‘knowing nods’ from audience members who might have received similar briefings. Without providing specific evidence or details about the alleged infiltration, Farage broadly asserted that Britain faces ‘rife and rampant sectarianism’ that he finds ‘terrifying.’
His comments faced immediate opposition from within the audience. Multiple Jewish activists heckled the Reform leader, with one woman shouting: ‘My mother didn’t fight the Mosley fascists in Cable Street for this!’ Another protester declared that ‘an attack on one minority is an attack on all,’ though Farage did not respond to these challenges.
The speech reflects Farage’s recent alignment with United Arab Emirates’ policies regarding political Islam. In late January, Farage was recorded praising UAE officials at a private Dubai party for banning the Muslim Brotherhood, stating ‘We have a lot to learn from you, my dear sirs.’ This alignment comes despite the Muslim Brotherhood’s long-standing position as a peaceful organization seeking democratic political participation.
The UAE has recently designated eight British organizations as terror groups over alleged Muslim Brotherhood links, though none have violated British laws. In 2023, revelations emerged that the UAE paid a private intelligence firm to smear Britain’s largest Muslim charity by attempting to link it to the Brotherhood and extremists.