The UK Culture Secretary is facing scrutiny after warning that the strategies of Reform UK raise serious concerns and display worrying, even fascist-like traits, sparking political debate.
Lisa Nandy has attracted criticism for her remarks about Reform UK, highlighting the party’s “copycat” tactics and hinting at authoritarian tendencies. While she did not directly call Reform fascist, she emphasised that its ‘authoritarian’ behaviour warrants close attention. Ironically, one of Nandy’s tasks on the morning interview round was to defend Labour’s suspension of planned local elections.
Speaking on the January 18th broadcast of Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, Nandy criticised Reform UK’s “othering” tactics. Without explicitly calling the party fascist, she invoked the English idiom, “if it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck,” to convey her concerns about certain behaviours and rhetoric.
Nandy’s remarks have ignited political debate amid Reform UK’s rising prominence, especially following the defection of several prominent parliamentary Conservative figures to the party. Critics say her comments highlight increasing polarisation in British politics.
While her supporters argue that the strong language simply reflects the nature of Reform UK’s rhetoric, seasoned observers will recognise the student politics mentality of calling everything disagreeable ‘fascist.’
