Habib served as Co-Deputy Leader of Reform UK, but left the party following a reported fall out with Nigel Farage after Habib was removed from the position. He took control of the Integrity Party in April 2025, which he announced under its new name, Advance UK, two months later. The party has attracted former candidates, councillors and branch officers from Reform UK.
In July 2024, Habib expressed concerns after his removal as Deputy Leader.[10] He also criticised Reform UK's new constitution as "undemocratic".[11] In November 2024, Farage told GB News that Habib had "attacked me more in public than the Labour Party" and had become "very bitter".[12]
Integrity Party
The logo of the Integrity Party.
Following the reported fall-out between Habib and Nigel Farage, on 28 November 2024, Habib announced he was leaving Reform UK.[13] Habib cited ideological differences with Farage, such as Habib's support for mass deportations, as well as the structure of Reform.[13] He later stated that Elon Musk had urged him to set up the party in early 2025.[14]
In April 2025, Habib assumed control of the Integrity Party, a legal identity which had been registered with Companies House by directors Christian Russell, Richard Shaw and Mohammad Sohail in 2024.[15][1][7] Habib stated that he intended to make sure the party was properly set up and organised before applying to the Electoral Commission for registration.[15]
Announcement and formation
On 30 June 2025, Habib announced the party under the name "Advance UK", and set a target of 30,000 members before he would apply for registration.[13] The limited company behind the Integrity Party was renamed as Advance UK Party Limited.[7] That same day, Restore Britain, was established as a far-right pressure group by the former Reform UK member, Rupert Lowe MP.[7]
In July, Richard Inman, an event organiser for prominent far-right[16] activist Tommy Robinson, joined Advance UK.[17] In early August, Tommy Robinson himself announced he too was joining the party.[18][19] Later that month, four former parliamentary candidates and one branch chair defected from Reform.[20] On 26 August 2025, Elon Musk declared his support for the party, saying: "Advance UK will actually drive change. Farage is weak sauce who will do nothing."[21]
At Tommy Robinson's 'Unite the Kingdom' rally in London on 13 September 2025, Advance UK was listed as a sponsor of the event.[22] Habib was one of the speakers at the rally, which saw an estimated turnout of 110,000 to 150,000.[23][24][4]
Launch event
The party was due to hold an official launch event at the Crowne Plaza Hotel in Newcastle upon Tyne on 27 September 2025. However, after online criticism, the hotel management cancelled the booking on "health and safety grounds", according to Newcastle City Council.[25][26] Habib told his supporters on X that the party would still launch in Newcastle.[26]
In November 2025, Wootton Bridge Community Centre on the Isle of Wight, where Advance UK supporters had met, was placed under review by the Charity Commission over alleged political activity.[27]
Advance UK conference in the Emmanuel Centre, February 2026.
On 7 February 2026, the party held a conference at the Emmanuel Centre, an evangelical church in London, in which it proposed to suspend all asylum claims and prohibit the MuslimBurqa and call to prayer.[29][30] The venue was criticised by groups including Christians for a Welcoming Britain for hosting what they described as a "far-right political conference".[31]
The i Paper described the party as 'nationalist'.[3] Habib has called for the United Kingdom to onshore all industries "from steel, to food, to energy", and has also supported the imposition of tariffs on imports in order to "put first the UK, not producers in China and Germany”.[3]
Critics have argued that Advance has adopted anti-migrant sentiments, and alliances which can promote racism through themes of migration, crime, and civilisational decline.[41][42]
Anna Gross wrote in the Financial Times that Habib was working to prevent Nigel Farage from winning the next general election, and that the more hardline Advance UK could attract voters who consider Farage too moderate.[20] Further, Alex Kane of The Irish News suggested that Advance was "in danger of becoming an anti-Farage party rather than a genuine alternative to Reform".[43]
Patrick English, director of political analytics at YouGov, said that Advance UK "certainly might have the potential to be disruptive but they'll need to work very hard to find people capable of fronting it".[20]
Local government
As of February 2026, ten councillors represent Advance UK.[8]
The party structure involves a 'college' of independent experts that can vote for proposed policies, and guide the party's board of directors, which consists of the party leaders.[13][7] According to The Telegraph, those recruited for the 'college' include Katie Waissel and Howard Cox.[14][49] Sean O'Grady has described the arrangement as 'complicated' and likely to lead to internal friction.[7]
Habib has described X (formerly Twitter) as vital for Advance UK. He stated that all of the party's membership had arrived via the platform, or from podcasts, YouTube, and other social media platforms.[50]
Habib claims to have put £100,000 into the party and said it has raised £600,000 from other sources.[32]
The party's Wales launch event in Cardiff was cancelled, after anti-fascist group Stand Up to Racism persuaded the venue to cancel the event booking in October 2025. The Brunswick Arms in Swansea faced a boycott and petition from local residents after it hosted the rescheduled launch event in November 2025.[52]
Northern Ireland
In July 2025, Habib told the News Letter that he hoped that Advance UK would work with Jim Allister and the TUV in Northern Ireland. He also said that "Farage doesn't stand" for the Acts of Union.[53]
Aileen Quinton, whose mother Alberta was killed in the IRA's Enniskillen bombing in 1987, is a member of the party's college.[54][49]
In December 2025, Suzanne Breen of the Belfast Telegraph reported that Advance UK had 600 members in Northern Ireland, and was preparing to register there.[55] The Electoral Commission has published notices for the party's application to register in Northern Ireland.[56]
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