The far right in Britain is bigger, bolder, more extreme, more confident and more confrontational than ever before, increasing the risk of a civil war. This is the stark warning in a major report, ‘State of hate 2026. It could happen here’, produced by HOPE not hate, an anti-Fascist, anti-racist advocacy group.
The 150-page blockbuster report is a comprehensive exposé of the organisations and personalities behind the rise of and danger from Nigel Farage, Tommy Robinson and other key, if lesser known, far right leaders.
The increasing popularity of the far right
The report claims that Reform UK itself is under pressure from its right from Robinson’s Unite the United Kingdom movement, and Restore Britain, a rival party formed by Rupert Lowe, an MP who was expelled from Reform UK for being too extremist. Two-thirds of Reform’s members have a favourable view of Lowe and 61% like Robinson.
It also argues that the success of Robinson and Lowe is forcing Farage further to the right, while “the far right grows more confident and vocal, public opinion is shifting to meet it, polarising British society.” It warns of the danger of increasing “explicitly racial nationalism” because it leads to policies like “remigration”, repackaging older ideas of ethnic cleansing and repatriation.
In Westminster the focus is on Reform, but at the same time social media is a haven for fascist groups and far right activists spreading hate online, with Elon Musk’s X as a clear example. The growing influence of far-right extremists is seen when they stir up “local tensions” or inject “their talking points into public debates.” But others may join militant networks where the ideology is more extreme, with violent outcomes.
The report further claims that several major media outlets are “normalising hate”: GB News, The Spectator, Daily Telegraph, Daily Mail, Express and Talk TV. It says that “one of the most concerning developments in the last year has been the increased prominence of the Far Right in the media.”
The far right’s promotion of the idea of civil war
The idea of civil war has been promoted by the far right. Elon Musk posted on X: “Civil war in Britain is inevitable” The media are also running stories and the general public are becoming more and more aware.
Polling shows that 8% of Britons believe there will “definitely be a civil war within the next five years either between communities or against the state, with another 23% thinking it is possible.” Some 66% of Reform members believe that civil war will happen.
The likelihood of civil war, the report states, is less about the mood of the far right which is “more aggressive and antagonistic” than a few years ago but rather “The fear is that some will take what they consider an existential threat to their own future in a violent direction […] spontaneously.”
While the far right are certain that civil war is imminent, polling reveals that some people feel that they must be prepared for it and others see it as necessary to expel Muslims “given that liberal society was allowing Islam to take over through immigration and multiculturalism”. But there is little indication that the government think that civil war is likely, or are planning how to combat it.
Reform’s key challengers from the far right
Far-right politics in the UK is a kaleidoscope of individuals, political parties, and other organisations and groups jostling for position and power, either peacefully through the ballot box or by violent protest on our streets. The HOPE not hate report claims that, despite a recent dip in the polls, Nigel Farage and Reform UK are in pole position andare expected to win scores of seats at the May local elections. However, they are under growing pressure from their right.
- Restore Britain was launched in February 2026 by Rupert Lowe MP, expelled from Reform. It claims to have a membership of 50,000, including a number of councillor defectors from Reform, and a range of other organisations and individuals, like Katie Hopkins, the journalist. Restore Britain has the public support of Elon Musk and Tommy Robinson, bridging the gulf between Reform’s electioneering and the street protest movement.
- Tommy Robinson is the best known and arguably the most influential on the far right. His rally in London, Unite for the United Kingdom, sponsored by Advance UK, was attended by over 150,000, the largest far-right demonstration in British history. Robinson has a following of 1.9 million on X.
- UKIP, formed in 1993, played a leading role in pushing for the UK to leave the EU under Farage’s leadership. However, it has suffered a catastrophic collapse in support and now is only a marginal electoral force but under the leadership of Nick Tenconi has become a prolific street movement.
- The English Democrats campaigns for an English Parliament. Initially it picked up a lot of members from the collapse of the British Nationalist Party. Its leader is Robin Tilbrook who is a friend of Mark Collett, leader of the neo Nazi Patriotic Alliance (PA).
A government strategy is needed to repel extremism
The report warns “It is vital that we as a society take the narrative more seriously than we are doing now in addressing it.” It calls for more proactive action by the police and security services.
A more fundamental point made by the report is that we all need to understand that this is a problem of the current state of UK society and it needs a political response. The government needs a comprehensive “cohesion strategy […] that puts communities first, and develops, promotes and resources a new togetherness and shared identity that reflects Britain’s increasingly diverse society.”
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