A prominent Eurosceptic since the early 1990s, Farage's right-wing and anti-immigration domestic views have attracted significant media attention throughout his political career. He is known for his distinctive character and style, including his personality, fashion, and social media presence, as well as his form of British right-wing populism. In foreign policy, Farage is an outspoken supporter of US President Donald Trump. He has spoken of admiration for Vladimir Putin while disliking him personally amidst the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
Economy
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: No mention of more recent policies and statements under Reform, e.g. raising tax thresholds, abolishing inheritance tax, scrapping the financial conduct authority, changing financial regulations more generally, ending interest payments on BOE reserves, cutting corporation tax, etc, or commentary on viability from the ifs and economists. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2025)
From taking office as a UKIP MEP in 1999, Farage has often voiced opposition to the "euro project". His argument is that "a one-size-fits-all interest rate" cannot work for countries with structurally different economies, often using the example of Greece and Germany to emphasise contrast.[1]
Farage strongly opposes the use of bailouts and says that "buying your own debt with taxpayers' money" will not solve the problem and that, "if we do, the next debt crisis won't be a country... it will be the European Central Bank itself".[2][3]
On the issue of welfare, Farage said in 2014 he wanted migrants to live in the UK for five years before being able to claim benefits, and for them to be ineligible for tax credits.[4] In 2015 he suggested that tax avoidance was caused by "punitive tax rates".[5]
Electoral reform
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During the campaigning before the UK voting system referendum of May 2011, which offered the two options of a continuation of first-past-the-post voting or an alternative vote system, Farage declared himself in favour of the latter, saying that a continuation of first-past-the-post would be a "nightmare" for UKIP, although he also said that AV would make little difference to UKIP's fortunes. The party's stance was decided by its central policy-making committee,[6] although Farage expressed a preference for the AV+ system as it "would retain the constituency link and then also the second ballot ensured there were no wasted votes".[7] After the 2015 general election, in which UKIP took a much lower proportion of seats than votes, Farage called the first-past-the-post voting system (FPTP) "totally bankrupt".[8] He had said in 2011: "I completely lost faith in [FPTP] in 2005 when Blair was returned with a 60 seat majority on 36 per cent of the vote, or 22 per cent if you factor in low turnout."[7]
Environment
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: No mention of more recent policies and statements under Reform, e.g. saying net-zero commitments are bad for the public (e.g. higher energy bills) and wanting to abolish them, saying it's "absolutely nuts" to label carbon dioxide a pollutant, accelerating oil and gas licences in the North Sea, increasing the use of fossil fuels, increasing nuclear energy and SMRs, opposition to "climate emergency" statements, increasing fracking, criticism of Ed Miliband during his tenure as Secretary of State for Energy Security and Net Zero, or "drill baby drill". Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2025)
Farage has been sceptical regarding the scientific consensus on climate change and has opposed measures designed to tackle global warming.[9] In 2013, Farage criticised David Cameron's policy on wind turbines, describing it as covering "Britain in ugly disgusting ghastly windmills".[10] An official energy policy document produced by UKIP while Farage was leader of the party stated that "UKIP strongly supports a clean environment and clean air", stressing that "coal-fired power stations must use clean technology to remove sulphur and nitrogen oxides, particulates and other pollutants".[10] In a speech made to the European parliament on 11 September 2013, Farage cited a news story that the Arctic Sea ice cap had apparently grown from 2012 to 2013, saying that this was evidence of decades "of Euro-federalism combined with an increasing Green obsession", despite this being a minor milestone in a larger trend of sea ice decline.[11]
In a 2015 interview with Spiked magazine, Farage said: "I haven't got a clue whether climate change is being driven by carbon-dioxide emissions." He also stated that climate change "is like a religion. And you're demonised if you question it. Ostracised completely."[12]
Drugs and healthcare
This section needs to be updated. The reason given is: No mention of more recent policies and statements under Reform, e.g. royal commission on social care, france-style funding model, tax relief for private healthcare, public inquiry into covid deaths and vaccine harm, "Make Britain Healthy Again", covid lockdowns and other rules/restrictions, Action on World Health/World Health Organization, etc. Please help update this article to reflect recent events or newly available information.(September 2025)
Drugs
Farage has in the past taken an anti-prohibitionist position on recreational drugs. In an April 2014 phone-in interview hosted by The Daily Telegraph he argued that the war on drugs had been lost "many, many years ago", stating that "I hate drugs, I've never taken them myself, I hope I never do, but I just have a feeling that the criminalisation of all these drugs is actually not really helping British society." He argued in favour of a Royal Commission on drugs, which would explore all avenues as to how to legislate most effectively and deal with their related criminal and public health problems, including the possibility of their legalisation.[13] In 2024 ITV News reported that Farage had "changed his mind on the idea of drug reform, particularly cannabis", with Farage saying drug reform in the United States "hasn't really made much difference".[14]
Smoking ban
In 2013 Farage said that the smoking ban in enclosed public spaces was "silly and illiberal"; he recommended separate smoking areas along the lines of some German states. He said that banning things makes them more attractive to children, and stated that "Obesity is killing more people than smoking, you could ban chip shops, you could ban doughnuts. The point is we are big enough and ugly enough to make our own decisions".[15]
NHS
In 2012, Farage called for the NHS to be replaced with an insurance-based healthcare system.[16][17][18] In 2015, while acknowledging he had tried and failed to persuade his party to back the policy, Farage said UK politicians would inevitably have to discuss insurance-based healthcare in the future.[19][20]
In his 2015 book Farage reflected that, based on his experiences, "the NHS is so over-stretched that if you can afford private health care, you should take it, particularly for diagnostics and preventative medicine. In the NHS, the system is so battered and poorly run that unless you are really lucky, you will fall through the cracks. The NHS is, however, astonishingly good at critical care. But what testicular cancer taught me is that the NHS will probably let you down if you need screening, fast diagnosis and an operation at a time that suits you". He supports reform within the NHS, saying that its resources have become stretched due to increased immigration, and blaming Labour for high costs of new hospitals built through private finance initiatives.[21]
Farage said in 2015 that money which the NHS could have spent on treating taxpayers with serious conditions was instead being spent on recent immigrants with HIV. A YouGov poll found 50 per cent of those taking part supported Farage, with 37 per cent saying that he was scaremongering.[22]
Immigration
Muslim immigration
In 2014 Farage said that he supported Muslim immigrants who integrated to British society, but was against immigrants who were "coming here to take us over", citing John Howard's Australia as a government to emulate in that regard.[23] He told a Channel 4 documentary in 2015 that there was a "fifth column" of Islamic extremists in the United Kingdom[24] and that British Muslims have "split loyalties" between their country and their faith.[25] Farage has also argued that Muslim immigration to Britain and Europe has fuelled a rise in antisemitism and in an interview with LBC radio stated "What's fuelling it is that there are many more Muslim voices, and some of those Muslim voices are deeply, deeply critical of Israel. In fact, some of them even question the right of Israel to exist as a nation."[26]
In a May 2024 interview, Farage argued that a "growing number" of young Muslims in Britain reject or "loath" British values and suggested around 46% of British Muslim support Hamas in reference to a poll conducted by the Henry Jackson Society. He also accused Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak of allowing migrants hostile to Britain into the country through lenient immigration policies.[27][28]
Enoch Powell
Farage has said that the "basic principle" of Conservative Party MP Enoch Powell's "Rivers of Blood" speech was correct: "What he was warning about was the large influx of people into an area, that change an area beyond recognition, there is tension," he said."[29][30][31] Farage has also publicly spoken of his admiration for Powell, and has called him his political hero.[32][33][34] Furthermore, in 1994, Farage asked Enoch Powell to endorse UKIP and to stand for them, though Powell declined to do either.[32][35][36]
Romanians
In a 2014 interview on the LBC radio station, Farage said that he would feel "concerned" if a group of Romanian men moved next door to him. When interviewer James O'Brien inquired what would be the difference between Romanian men moving next door and a group of German children, in reference to Farage's German wife and children, Farage replied: "You know the difference."[37][38][39] He later expanded on this on the UKIP website, stating that "if we were able to operate a proper work permit scheme for Romanian nationals, with suitable checks, as recommended by UKIP, then nobody would need to be concerned if a group of Romanian nationals moved in next door to them."[40]
Syrian refugees
Farage called on the British government in 2013 to accept more refugees from the Syrian Civil War.[41] He later said that those refugees should be of the country's Christian minority, due to the existence of nearer Muslim-majority safe countries.[42] During the ensuing migration crisis, Farage alleged that the majority of people claiming to be refugees were economic migrants, and that some were Islamic State militants.[43]
HIV immigrants
In an interview in 2014, Farage suggested that people with HIV should be banned from moving to the UK.[44] During the televised debates in advance of the 2015 election, he said that "You can come into Britain from anywhere in the world and get diagnosed with HIV and get the retro-viral drugs that cost up to £25,000 per year per patient... What we need to do is to put the NHS there for British people and families, who in many cases have paid into the system for decades."[45]
Immigration preference
In a 2015 interview Farage stated that he had a "slight preference" for immigrants from countries such as India and Australia compared to those from Eastern Europe, as they "are in some ways more likely to speak English, understand common law and have a connection with this country".[46]
In September 2024, Farage said it was a "political impossibility to deport hundreds of thousands of people" or support "mass deportations" more generally.[56][57] He criticised Rupert Lowe after he voiced support for the action in a speech, saying it was "a very grave, dark, and dangerous use of language".[58][59][60] However, in August 2025, Farage and Reform UK announced a plan to deport approximately 600,000 illegal migrants, called 'Operation Restoring Justice', over the next five years if they were to win the next general election.[61][62] In September 2025, Farage pleged that a Reform government would end all small boat migrant crossings within two weeks of taking power. Shortly afterwards, however, he changed his pledge to say that this would happen within two weeks of Reform passing relevant legislation.[63][64][65]
When announcing Operation Restoring Justice, Farage said all illegal immigrants, including women and children, would be deported. However, he later said the policy would be focused on adult men and that women, children, and families wouldn't be prioritised.[66][67][68] He later refined his stance again a few days later, by saying that women would also be deported, including to Afghanistan.[69] Farage also stated that his government would negotiate deals with countries like Eritrea, Iran, and Afghanistan to return illegal immigrants to them. A senior figure within The Taliban, who currently hold power in Afghanistan, said the country is "ready and willing" to work with Farage and accept Afghans deported from the country.[70][71]
Keir Starmer
In May 2025, responding to Starmer's press conference where he promised a significant fall in net migration by the end of the parliament, Farage accused Starmer of being "insincere" and warned he was "playing catch up" on the issue of immigration, stating "I was using take back control in 2004. Keir Starmer has spent his whole career campaigning for free movement of people wholly unconcerned about this subject, so much so that their massive parliamentary majority was gained without immigration even being one of their five main priorities. Now, of course, he knows that amongst the great British public, this issue rates even higher than the health service. And he's just basically playing catch up with Reform."[72][73]
Farage has previously been supportive of the Liberal Party of Australia. In 2015, he praised the immigration policy of then-prime ministerTony Abbott.[75] Farage had frequently endorsed an "Australian-style" points system of immigration for the United Kingdom.[76][77] By 2018, Farage was more critical of the governing Liberal Party, saying "if in Australia there is not a greater connection with those who actually want patriotic values, for those who think that immigration needs looking at, for those who are really worried about energy prices, if the Liberal Party can't sort itself out, then something, a big shock will come along and replace it."[78] In 2019, while speaking at the Sydney Conservative Political Action Conference, he condemned Malcolm Turnbull as a "snake" who "pretended to be a conservative", and praised his successor Scott Morrison, who had ousted Turnbull in a leadership spill the year prior.[79] Some political commentators and journalists in Australia have compared Farage to One Nation leader Pauline Hanson.[80][81] Farage has praised Hanson for drawing attention to immigration as an issue while also saying that he disagreed with some of her rhetoric and in 2022 described Hanson and the then opposition leader Peter Dutton as "important voices" in Australian politics but argued that Australian conservatives needed to do more to inspire voters.[82][83]
In 2018 Farage described French President Emmanuel Macron as a "globalist" who wanted "many more powers to be centralised in Brussels, powers taken from the member states".[87]
Ahead of the 2024 French legislative election, Farage praised Le Pen for making her party "electable" but was sceptical of her economic policies.[88]
Italy
Farage expressed praise for Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni in 2024, arguing that she had successfully transformed the Brothers of Italy party to broaden its appeal among Italian voters and suggested that Meloni and her party should serve as a model for Reform UK to win a future general election and form a government.[89] In an interview with GB News Farage suggested Britain should follow similar policies of Meloni's government on tackling illegal immigration.[90]
China
In 2020, Farage said US President Donald Trump was right to refer to COVID-19 as the "Chinese virus", and also blamed China for the pandemic, saying "It really is about time we all said it. China caused this nightmare. Period."[91] In June 2020, he called tougher policies on China and boycotting "mass-produced Chinese rubbish", saying China showed its "true colours" during the COVID-19 pandemic. He said competition with China was "the biggest geopolitical struggle since the fall of the Berlin Wall 30 years ago" and said Trump needed to be re-elected to stop China from "effectively taking over the world".[92] In April 2021, he accused New Zealand of having "sold its soul to China" and weakening the Five Eyes.[93] He criticised the use of facial recognition cameras by Essex Police, saying "I don't want to live in China. I don't want to be tracked wherever I go."[94] In October 2024, after the British government announced it would hand over sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, Farage said "our American allies will be furious and Beijing delighted".[95]
Germany
Farage spoke at a rally for the far-right Alternative for Germany party in advance of the 2017 German federal election, having been personally invited by the party's deputy leader Beatrix von Storch.[96] By 2025, Farage had distanced himself from the AfD and did not publicly comment on the German election that year.[97]
Iran
Farage previously opposed sanctions on Iran, and said in 2013 that he would not support an Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, stating: "I do not support acts of aggression, even from countries that feel their existence is threatened".[98]
In 2018 he condemned Labour leaderJeremy Corbyn's "record for standing up and defending this hardline Islamist regime" and declared that regime change was "absolutely the right thing" in Iran.[99]
In June 2025, Farage referred to the Iranian government as a "bloody awful regime" and that he supported its removal, stating “I think the lovely Persian people deserve better, I really do."[104]
Israel
Farage denounced the 2023 Hamas attack on Israel and in 2024 accused Starmer's government of not negotiating for the release of British hostage Emily Damari. He has also accused the Labour Party and the British left of "pandering to Hamas and the pro-Gaza as a side of the argument" in order to win sectarian support from extremist Muslims.[105] In 2024, Farage opposed calls by the International Criminal Court (ICC) to issue an arrest warrant to Prime Minister of IsraelBenjamin Netanyahu following the actions of Israel in the Gaza war, arguing "there is no moral equivalence between a terrorist organisation and the prime minister of a country that is going after those terrorists to try and stop October 7th from happening again."[106]
In June 2025, Farage said that he not support suspending weapons exports to Israel and asserted "I think we have to get back to the fundamental fact that what happened on October 7 [2023] was the most appalling violence committed by an organisation who said they will do it again and again and again."[107] In July 2025, Farage stated that he opposed immediately recognising a Palestinian state while Hamas remains in charge of the region, arguing “to do it now is wrong. It rewards terrorism.”[108]
Russia
In 2014, Farage said though he did not approve of him "politically" or "as a human being", the world leader he most admired "as an operator" was Putin, praising the Russian intervention in the Syrian civil war as "brilliant".[109][110][111] Later, in 2015, he said about Putin that "The European Union, and the West, view Putin as the devil. They want to view Putin as the devil. I'm not saying I want take him around for tea and meet mum on Sunday afternoon ... But the point is, on this bigger overall battle [against ISIS in Syria] we need to start recognising we're on the same side".[112] Farage accused the EU of having "blood on its hands" for allegedly encouraging the 2014 revolution in Ukraine. He said he did not support Russia's annexation of Crimea but that EU leaders had been "weak and vain", adding: "if you poke the Russian bear with a stick, it will respond".[113]
Farage has said: "I think we need a complete re-appraisal of who Saudi Arabia are, what our relationship with them is, and stop extremist talk turning the minds of young, male Muslims in this country."[119] In an interview with Fox News Channel, Farage criticised the West's reluctance to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and the kingdom's decades-long propagation of radical Wahhabism, while stressing the importance of British and American economic and security ties to the Kingdom.[120]
In a May 2016 interview with Robert Peston, Farage said that, whilst he had reservations on the views and character of 2016 Republicanpresidential candidate Donald Trump, if he were an eligible US voter he would vote for Trump in the 2016 presidential election, to prevent Hillary Clinton becoming president.[123] Prior to Trump's presidential campaign, Farage had supported the presidential ambitions of Rand Paul, whom he described as his "political doppelgänger". Farage had also compared the Tea Party movement to UKIP, stating that they have their "own share of oddballs and mavericks who sometimes espouse pretty extreme stuff, but they also have truly impressive politicians". He was critical of the religious right, who he believed had "hijacked" the Republican Party, and referred to Sarah Palin as "downright scary".[124][125]
In July 2016, Farage visited the Republican convention in Cleveland with his aide and office manager George Cottrell.[126] Both Farage and Cottrell appeared on American television and engaged in discussions with Trump's aides[126] before Cottrell was arrested by the FBI on 21 federal counts of fraud, money laundering and extortion.[127] Farage "was unaware of Cottrell's alleged illegal activities and his arrest by the FBI came as a shock."[127] Cottrell's arrest left Farage unable to access his personal diary.[126] Cottrell ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud as part of a plea agreement with US federal prosecutors and was sentenced to eight months in US federal prison and was fined $30,000; the crime had been committed before Cottrell joined UKIP.[128][129]
In August 2016 Farage and fellow BrexiteersAndy Wigmore and Arron Banks met Trump for the first time at a campaign fundraiser in Jackson, Mississippi.[130] They were invited to the event by staffers for Mississippi governorPhil Bryant while attending the GOP convention.[130] Afterwards, Trump invited them to his campaign rally that night.[130] Trump asked Farage to speak at the rally and introduced him to the crowd as "Mr. Brexit".[130][131]
In October 2016, following revelations of a 2005 audio recording in which Trump made lewd remarks about women and commented on the ease with which he could commit sexual assault, Farage said that Trump's comments were "ugly" but described them as "alpha male boasting" also stating that Trump was "not running to be Pope" and that women also make remarks they would not want to see reported.[132] Farage's comments prompted several senior UKIP members to express concern privately, and resulted in public criticism of Farage from two UKIP MEPs, Jane Collins and William Dartmouth.[133] As more publicity appeared about Trump's alleged groping and as the criticisms increased, Farage said he disagreed with Trump's comments about groping women and his comments on Muslim immigration.[134]
After Trump's victory, Farage said that he "couldn't be happier"[135] and in the same interview referred to outgoing president Barack Obama as "a loathsome creature" and "that Obama creature", and joked about Trump groping Theresa May,[136] which prompted criticism.[135][137] Labour MP John Woodcock criticised Farage's comments, saying they had "clear racist undertones."[137] Farage was the first British politician to speak to Trump after his election, meeting with Trump in his eponymous Manhattan tower.[138]
In November 2016, after becoming president-elect, Trump publicly suggested, via Twitter post, that the UK government name Farage as British ambassador to the United States. Trump's expression of a preference for a foreign nation's ambassador was "a startling break with diplomatic protocol" that was unprecedented in recent US history.[139] The British government rejected the suggestion, with a Downing Street spokesman and then-Foreign SecretaryBoris Johnson stressing that there was no vacancy in the position.[139][140]
In 2017, Farage was listed as a person of interest by the FBI in their investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election because of his connections to Trump, WikiLeaks and Julian Assange.[141][142][143] One source said that "if you triangulate Russia, WikiLeaks, Assange and Trump associates the person who comes up with the most hits is Nigel Farage."[141] Farage responded, "This hysterical attempt to associate me with the Putin regime is a result of the liberal elite being unable to accept Brexit and the election of President Trump... I consider it extremely doubtful that I could be a person of interest to the FBI as I have no connections to Russia."[144] Farage met with Assange and his lawyers, advocated for Assange and the UK Independence Party under Farage's leadership had long-standing links to Assange.[145][143]
Trump presidencies
In October 2017 Farage made controversial remarks during a discussion on LBC radio station after a caller who referred to himself as "Ahmed" told Farage he thought the pro-Israeli lobby in the United States was equally dangerous to the Russian interference in American politics. Farage responded by saying: "the Israeli lobby, you know, that's a reasonable point, Ahmed, because there are about 6 million Jewish people living in America, so as a percentage it's quite small, but in terms of influence it's quite big...in terms of money and influence, yep, they are a very powerful lobby," and "there are other very powerful foreign lobbies in the United States of America, and the Jewish lobby, with its links with the Israeli government, is one of those strong voices."[146][147][148] Farage's remarks were condemned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism[148] and the Anti-Defamation League, which said that Farage's comment "plays into deep-seated anti-Semitic tropes" and was fuel for extremist conspiracy theories.[147]
After gaining no seats in the 2019 general election under the Brexit Party banner, Farage said he would leave the UK to work as a warm-up speaker for Trump's 2020 campaign rallies.[155] In June 2020, Farage was exempted by US officials from the country's travel ban under a "national interest" clause, while Trump prepared for his first major election campaign rally since the COVID-19 pandemic. On 20 June, he posted a picture from the US and was later spotted at the Trump rally, taking part in a "Team Trump on Tour" panel discussion.[156] Farage appeared in the audiences of rallies in states such as Michigan and Pennsylvania.[157] In an Arizona rally on 29 October, Trump called Farage "one of the most powerful men in Europe" and invited him to speak on the stage, where he described Trump as the "most resilient and brave person" he had ever met.[158] After the day of the election, Farage conceded that Trump lost "fair and square", but said "Donald Trump loses the odd battle, but he doesn't lose wars. He keeps fighting until he wins them".[159]
In 2021 Farage undertook a six-week tour of the United States organised by the conservative group FreedomWorks. Entitled America's Comeback Tour, it saw him address Republican grassroots audiences across the country.[160][161]
Farage speaking at a Trump rally on 28 October 2020
On 31 May 2024, after Trump was unanimously found guilty by a jury on 34 counts of falsifying business records to commit election fraud, Farage said in an interview with Sky News that he supports Trump "more than ever".[163] Earlier in May 2024, Farage announced that he would not be standing in the 2024 general election, preferring to focus on campaigning for the 2024 United States presidential election instead.[164] However, on 3 June, he reversed this decision, announcing his intention to stand as MP for Clacton as leader of the Reform Party.
On 17 December 2024, Farage said the American businessman and political figure Elon Musk was in talks about donating to Reform UK.[167] It was reported the donation could be in the region of $100 million (£78 million).[167] On 5 January 2025, Musk called for Farage to be replaced as leader of Reform UK. Farage suggested that this was due to a disagreement over Musk's support for the far-right activist Tommy Robinson.[168] On 7 January, Farage said that he aimed to "mend fences" with Musk.[169] Farage has frequently described Musk as a "hero".[170]
Social issues
This section needs expansionwith: details on defence policy, conscription, racism, government spending efficiency/british doge; benefits generally and for those with disabilities; free speech, including relating to Lucy Connolly and Graham Linehan; gambling/betting regulation; housing and the housing crisis; DEI; woke ideology; the 2025 British anti-immigration protests, Operation Raise the Colours, and the Unite the Kingdom rally; the 2024 Southport stabbings, including misinformation and subsequent rioting; political violence, including Charlie Kirk, Jo Cox and Brendan Cox, David Amess, Lucy Connolly, the attempted killing of Donald Trump, and Southport riots; far-right individuals and groups, such as Tommy Robinson, Patriotic Alternative, Gerard Batten, UKIP after his departure, and Steve Bannon; and the Equality Act 2010. You can help by adding to it. (September 2025)
Firearms
In 2014 Farage said that it was UKIP policy for handguns in the UK to be legalised and licensed, describing the current legislation, brought in after the Dunblane school massacre, as "ludicrous".[171] He also said in 2014 that there was no link between responsible handgun ownership and gun crime.[172]
In November 2024, Farage said that the UK Parliament should debate imposing stricter limits on abortion.[174] Farage was a speaker at the 2024 National Conservatism Conference (NatCon), which was backed by ADF International (UK), an anti-abortion organisation.[175]
LGBT issues
When asked on LBC in 2014, after same-sex marriage was legalised in England and Wales, whether he supported gay marriage, he answered that he does "not support the idea of same-sex marriages, all the while we're under the auspices of the European Court of Human Rights".[176][177] He added that he would not campaign to abolish same-sex marriage.[176] In 2025, Farage reaffirmed his beliefs that although he thought it was "wrong" to introduce marriage equality, he thought it was a "settled issue" he would not seek to overturn.[178][179] He also believes that people who oppose same-sex marriage, such as Christian and Muslim communities, should be allowed to speak out about their beliefs.[5]
Farage has said that Margaret Thatcher's time as Prime Minister of the United Kingdom "was one I think of real advancement for gay people in society." According to PinkNews, Farage has defended past comments made by Boris Johnson in which he referred to gay people as "tank-topped bum boys".[180] After Ann Widdecombe drew criticism for endorsing conversion therapy and that science might produce a way to change a person's sexuality in the future, Farage defended her, saying her views on homosexuality were a "matter of conscience" and criticised those who condemned her remarks as having "hounded" her.[181][182]
In August 2025, Reform UK announced Vanessa Frake, a former prison governor, would be their new justice adviser. Shortly afterwards, she said there should not be a blanket ban on transgender women being sent to women's prisons and that they should be assessed on a case-by-case basis.[183][184][185] Farage initially supported Frake over her stance on the issue. However, the next day, after it became controversial among party members and faced criticism, including from J.K. Rowling, he said he had "never supported men in women's prisons".[186][187] Subsequently, it was reported that Reform UK members would hold a vote to call for transgender women to be excluded from female prisons at their upcoming party conference.[188][189]
In September 2025, Labour MP Nadia Whittome accused Farage of "vile homophobia" after he said "the most stable relationships tend to be between men and women". The statements were made when, during a press conference over the formerly Conservative MP Danny Kruger joining Reform, Farage was asked about past comments on the subject made by Kruger, who had told a National Conservatism Conference that marriage between men and women was "the only basis for a safe and successful society".[190][191]
In 2013, Farage supported banning the face veil in schools, airports and banks. However, he criticised France's and Belgium's outright bans in public places.[207] Previously, in 2010, Farage called for a ban in public places and public buildings similar to the French and Belgian bans.[208][209][210] In June 2025, newly elected Reform MP Sarah Pochin used her debut at Prime Minister's Questions to ask whether the government would consider banning the burqa, citing public safety concerns. This provoked a rebuke from Reform UK's chairman, Zia Yusuf, a Muslim and senior party figure, who said a burqa ban was not official party policy and that asking an opposition Prime Minister about it was poor strategy.[211][212][213] Yusuf subsequently resigned, stating he no longer believed working for a Reform government was a good use of his time.[214][215][216] The situation was further complicated after Farage, who initially appeared to distance the party from Pochin's comments, later endorsed the idea of a broader debate on face coverings, with several Reform MPs openly supporting a ban.[213][217][218] Yusuf later rejoined the party following discussions with Farage and subsequently stated that he also supported a ban on face coverings in public spaces.[219][220][221]
Muslim Brotherhood
In 2025, Farage called for the Muslim Brotherhood to be banned in the United Kingdom and said a Reform UK government would proscribe it as a terrorist group.[222][223]
Rights for men and women
In 2018, Farage, who said he believes in equal rights for men and women, also said that he thinks men find it difficult to identify as feminists because it is awkward, as part of his explanation for why he does not identify as a feminist.[224] In 2024, he said the misogynist influencer Andrew Tate was an "important voice" for young men, while also stating that Tate had gone "over the top" and that he had said some "pretty horrible" things.[225]
Grooming gangs
On 8 January 2025, Farage voted along with all other Reform UK MPs for a new national inquiry into rape gangs. The bill was lost by 364 votes to 111, a majority of 253 against the amendment.[230]
In August 2025, Farage stated that Reform UK would launch and fund their own independent inquiry into the grooming gang scandals and described them as racist attacks against white children by Pakistani rapists. Farage also criticised the Conservative Party for not fully launching a national inquiry during their time in power and said "The establishment has failed the victims of grooming gangs on every level."[231][232]
Criticism from Rupert Lowe
In March 2025, In an interview with the Daily Mail, fellow Reform MP Rupert Lowe criticised the governance of Reform UK as "a protest party lead by the Messiah", suggesting he might leave the party if things did not change, and saying it was too early to tell if Nigel Farage would make a good prime minister.[233][234] Farage disputed Lowe's criticism of himself and Reform UK, describing his personal following as a good thing, and went on to suggest Lowe's remarks were driven by a desire to be Prime Minister himself.[233]
Farage has accused teaching unions of "poisoning the minds of young people".[236] In 2015 he complained about being targeted by some trade union-funded activists.[237] UKIP sent a spy that year to obtain information on one of these groups. Protesters said the spy encouraged activists to deface posters, heckle meetings, behave badly, abuse Farage, as well as commit other criminal acts in an attempt to discredit the group in the public eye.[237]
Thatcherism
In 2013, Farage referred to Margaret Thatcher as a "great patriotic lady" and said that he was the only politician "keeping the flame of Thatcherism alive".[238][239] In 2014 he said that UKIP was not a "new Thatcherite party", stating: "Thatcherism was of its time, 40 years ago, to deal with a specific set of problems. For half the country it benefited them, for the other half it didn't."[239]
↑ Eagleton, Oliver (3 May 2025). "What is Nigel Farage thinking now?". New Statesman. Archived from the original on 12 May 2025. Retrieved 23 August 2025. Farage has never been coy about his admiration for the one-time Tory member for Wolverhampton South West, whom he has described as his political hero. When Powell visited his sixth-form college in 1982, the teenage Farage was, in his words, "dazzled… into awestruck silence".
↑ Sengupta, Kim. "Security services bracing for return of thousands of Isis fighters". The Independent. Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025. The British head of Europol has accused Nigel Farage of making the "false" and "alarmist" statement the European Union's migration and refugee policies have allowed 5,000 terrorists to get into Europe. In fact, explained Rob Wainwright, Europol believed 5,000 European Muslims have gone to Syria and Iraq but "by no means" had all of them returned to Europe.
↑ Ross, Tim (4 June 2016). "Nigel Farage: Migrants could pose sex attack threat to Britain". The Daily Telegraph. Archived from the original on 27 Jun 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025. Mr Farage said voters must consider the security threat posed by the migrant crisis when considering the referendum on whether to leave or stay in the EU. He said police agencies had already estimated that 5,000 jihadists have entered Europe among the migrants in recent years and months, while there is a risk of more migrant-related crime.
↑ Rankin, Jennifer (22 June 2016). "Europol chief says Brexit would harm UK crime-fighting". The Guardian. Archived from the original on 31 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025. Wainwright recently accused Nigel Farage of making false claims after the Ukip leader claimed EU migration policy had brought 5,000 Isis-inspired terrorists to Europe.
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