The Broad Church of Reform UK

As we in Reform UK cement our place as one of Britain’s major political parties, our party stands as a vibrant testament to the power of the movement we have built. Under the banner of reclaiming our sovereignty, challenging the Westminster elite, and delivering for ordinary Britons with policies that directly improve our quality of life, our party has become a big tent, welcoming a rich array of voices and visions. From traditionalists cherishing British heritage to libertarians championing economic freedom, from working-class advocates demanding fairness to staunch defenders of national autonomy, Reform UK’s supporters share a commitment to transformative change. Having spent a year campaigning at elections, attending Reform events and speaking to hundreds of fellow members, I’ve witnessed firsthand the passion and diversity of thought that exists within our movement. This article explores the distinct groups that have come to exist within our party based on my experiences interacting with candidates, activists and members.

Within Reform’s broad church, I have identified four distinct groups. Traditional Reformers who champion British heritage and social values. Prosperity Reformers who push for economic freedom advocate for lower taxes and minimal government interference. We have Social Reformers who focus on working-class welfare, combining economic fairness with community pride, and National Reformers who prioritise sovereignty, seeking autonomy from global institutions. I will now dig deeper into the different trends and sets of beliefs that exist amongst the groups that I have found to exist within our party. Discovering what each of the different groups believe and what policy issues are most important to them and, most importantly, which camp you belong in.

DISCLAIMER: These groups are based on my observations and are not meant to pigeonhole members. Many will find themselves aligning with aspects of multiple groups.

Traditional Reformers (populist traditionalism)

Main ideologies found within this group:

• Social conservatism
• Populist nationalism
• Anti-globalism

Traditional Reformers prioritise traditional social values, emphasising British cultural heritage (e.g. Christian traditions and monarchy) and oppose progressive policies such as the expansion of gay rights and transgender ideology. Their nationalism is rooted in a ‘the people vs the elites’ narrative, viewing Westminster institutions such as the BBC and the House of Lords as out of touch and overly progressive. They combine this with a strong anti-immigration stance, framing immigration as a cultural threat.

Traditional Reformers distrust international bodies like the European Convention on Human Rights, seeing them as an attack on British sovereignty, though they still accept the important role internationalism can play in the governance of the nation. This group also supports much harsher sentences for criminals and also believes that the death penalty should be reinstated. As well as being fiercely anti-net zero, they also tend to be against an increase in house building, preferring instead to battle against urban sprawl. This group tends to take pride in the efforts of the UK to support Ukraine in its war against Russia, believing that Britain should be a strong player on the international stage. They are less focused on economic policy than traditional conservatives, prioritising cultural battles over fiscal conservatism, with anti-woke and anti-environmental policies high up their list of concerns.

Prosperity Reformers (economic and social libertarianism)

Main ideologies found within this group:

• Libertarianism
• Right-wing economic populism
• Anti-environmentalism
• Pragmatic nationalism

Prosperity Reformers advocate for minimal government intervention, emphasising individual economic freedom through lower taxes (e.g. raising the income tax threshold to £20,000), deregulation and abolishing business rates. They strongly believe that the government taxes people too much and spends too much and think that government intervention in private affairs should be limited. While libertarian in principle, Prosperity Reformers blend this with populist appeals to small businesses and working people, believing that there should be tax cuts and economic opportunities for ordinary people, distinguishing themselves from elite-driven neoliberalism.

Their opposition to net zero policies (scrapping subsidies to save £30 billion) aligns with libertarian scepticism of state-driven environmental mandates and prefers to prioritise market-driven solutions like nuclear energy and fossil fuels. On social issues, such as gay rights, this group tends to display more progressive attitudes than Traditional and National Reformers. This group also tends to take a common-sense approach to house building, believing that houses should be built, but only when local infrastructure can cope with development.

Like Traditional Reformers, Prosperity Reformers are supportive of Ukraine in its fight against Russia, also displaying pride in Britain’s role. They support immigration controls, believing that the UK should operate a one in, one out policy at the border but support exceptions for the UK’s economic needs (e.g. NHS workers) and want to see a transition to a new points-based system, reflecting a nationalist streak tempered by economic pragmatism, unlike the cultural focus of other groups within the party. They also wish to streamline public institutions, such as the civil service, for efficiency.

Social Reformers (pragmatic interventionism)

Main ideologies found within this group:

• Economic populism
• Social nationalism
• Anti-elitism

Social Reformers advocate for policies benefiting working-class communities, such as cutting taxes while also increasing taxes on the extremely wealthy, and are also supportive of the nationalisation of key utilities to stabilise consumer costs. They tend to believe that workers don’t get their fair share, which reflects their left-leaning economic populist stance focused on wealth fairness rather than wealth distribution. This group combines economic concerns with a nationalist framework, supporting strict immigration controls to protect jobs and public services, rather than their focus being on the impact of immigration on our culture. Their patriotism emphasises community pride and local interests over integration within global institutions.

Like other groups within Reform, Social Reformers believe in a one in and one out immigration policy; however, they advocate for exemptions to be made for key roles within the social care sector. This group tends to be the most pro-house building group within the party, supporting the argument that more homes need to be built in order to bring down rental costs. On social issues, this group aligns closely with the Prosperity Reformers, opting to put more of their focus on domestic issues ahead of cultural issues. This group views elites and foreign multinational corporations as exploitative of ordinary Britons, which fuels their distrust of privatised industries and Westminsiter as a whole.

This group tends to express frustration with the amount of taxpayer money being spent in Ukraine and does not believe that Britain should be involved to the extent it is in the conflict. On international issues as a whole, this group tends to focus on issues at home, seeing international affairs as a distraction. Their strong focus on cutting NHS waiting lists and increasing police numbers reflects a commitment to state driven solutions for community welfare, distinguishing them from Prosperity Reformers. Social Reformers believe in pragmatic interventionism and think that policies like tax exemptions for NHS workers and private healthcare vouchers provide a perfect mix of market solutions with state intervention, opting for this hybrid approach to economic nationalism. Unlike traditional socialism, Social Reformers reject the redistribution of wealth and embrace elements of the private market. Their nationalism is less culturally focused than Traditional and National Reformers, prioritising practical outcomes like jobs and healthcare.

National Reformers (sovereign nationalism)

Main ideologies found within this group:

• Isolationist populism
• Cultural exclusivism
• Anti-institutionalism 

National Reformers blend nationalism with their intense distrust of government institutions and government projects. They also do not trust international institutions and would prefer it if the UK left the World Health Organisation and the World Economic Forum. They reject international bodies such as the European Union and the European Convention on Human Rights as threats to British autonomy. This group tends to oppose international cooperation, particularly the UK’s involvement in supporting Ukraine in its fight against Russia. National Reformers advocate a Britain First approach that redirects foreign aid spending to domestic defence and wish to see a social housing programme that seeks to only house British people. They distrust Islam and other religions, believing them to be incompatible with British values, and sympathise with Tommy Robinson’s activism in this regard. This belief in cultural exclusivism extends to their immigration policy, where they call for targeted vetting based on cultural or religious grounds.

National Reformers also tend to be the most opposed to progressive policies out of all of the groups within the party. They support a strong armed forces and consider veteran welfare a key priority, viewing the military as a symbol of national strength. National Reformers also express admiration for Trump’s MAGA movement, which reflects their pro-populist and anti-globalist stance. They also prioritise the issues of free speech and cancel culture. This group also tends to be the biggest supporters of the policy of remigration. National Reformers seek to dismantle globalist-aligned institutions but are less focused on domestic issues, such as education and the NHS, in comparison to the other three groups. This group prioritises sovereignty above all else. Their isolationist nature creates tensions with the other groups in the party, who favour economic engagement.

As our party grows into a formidable force, poised to elect hundreds of MPs at the next election, our diverse member base will shape the parliamentary landscape on the Reform benches in the House of Commons. Once they do, parliamentary groups will naturally emerge, as they do in all of the main political parties in the Commons. Each of these parliamentary groups will reflect the core priorities of one of the four groups we have within our party. Traditional Reformers will rally MPs to champion cultural heritage and social conservatism, while Prosperity Reformers will drive a caucus focused on economic liberty and deregulation. Social Reformers will form a bloc advocating for fairness for the working class and community welfare, and National Reformers will champion prioritising sovereignty and autonomy. Though the names and specifics of these parliamentary groups may evolve, shaped by debate and leadership, their foundations will remain rooted in the ideologies that define our party today.

This is why I believe it’s important that we all clearly understand what groups exist within Reform UK. Yes, we all have the same vision for Britain, but we all believe in getting by different routes and methods. As groups in all political parties do, they will champion their preferred policies and will want to see people in elected positions who align with their vision of Reform UK. There will be times when we do not agree with each other, and there will be times when some of us infuriate the rest of us. Some of the views held by other groups may even make some of us slightly uncomfortable. But as long as we all remain loyal to the best interests of the party and remain awake and aware of the different beliefs within our ranks, we can use this coalition of thinking to launch our party into government at the next election.

Which type of Reformer are you?

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