Advance UK
Advance UK | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Ben Habib |
| Registered address | 5 Brayford Sq London E1 0SG |
| Founded |
|
| Split from | Reform UK |
| Membership (2025) | 37,000 |
| Political position | Far-right |
| Colours | Red Blue |
| Slogan | Our Future Together |
| Councillors[1] | 11 / 18,645
|
| Website | |
www | |
| Part of a series on |
| Far-right politics in the United Kingdom |
|---|
 |
Advance UK, formerly the Integrity Party, is a far-right political party in the United Kingdom led by Ben Habib, the former Deputy Leader of Reform UK, since June 2025.
The party was launched in its current form in 2025, following Habib's departure from Reform UK in November 2024 due to internal disagreements and a falling-out with Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf. It was registered with the Electoral Commission on 4 December 2025.
Advance is positioned to the right of Reform UK. The party was involved in the Unite the Kingdom rally in September 2025, and has been supported by Tommy Robinson and Elon Musk.
History
[edit]Background
[edit]In October 2023, Ben Habib was appointed as the Deputy Leader of Reform UK. The following year he contested Wellingborough twice; polling 13% at the by-election and 21.5% at the general election. Habib faced criticism after a Talk TV interview in April 2024, in which he stated that refugees crossing the English Channel whose boats are sinking "have to suffer the consequences of their actions" and suggested they should be left to drown.[2][3]
In July 2024, Habib expressed concerns after his removal as Deputy Leader.[4] He also criticised Reform UK's new constitution as "undemocratic".[5] In November 2024, Farage told GB News that Habib had "attacked me more in public than the Labour Party" and had become "very bitter".[6]
Integrity Party
[edit]Following the falling-out between Habib and Farage, on 28 November 2024, Habib announced he was quitting Reform UK.[7][8] Habib cited ideological differences with Farage, such as Habib's support for mass deportations, as well as the structure of Reform UK.[7] After leaving, Habib said he wished to create a party that would be to the right of Reform UK.[8] He later stated that Elon Musk had urged him to set up a party in early 2025.[9]
In April 2025, Habib announced he would be taking over the Integrity Party, which had been created by Christian Russell and Richard J. Shaw in 2024.[10] Habib stated that he intended to make sure the party was properly set up and organised before applying to the Electoral Commission for registration.[10]
Formation
[edit]On 30 June 2025, Habib announced the party's new name "Advance UK", and set a target of 30,000 members before registration.[8] The limited company behind the Integrity Party was renamed as Advance UK Party Limited.[11] Restore Britain, a far-right pressure group, was established by Rupert Lowe MP later that day.[11]
In July, Richard Inman – an event organiser for prominent far-right[12] activist Tommy Robinson, and a former UKIP National Executive Committee member – joined Advance UK.[13] In early August, Tommy Robinson announced he too was joining the party.[14][15] Later that month, four former parliamentary candidates and one branch chair defected from Reform.[16] 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."[17]
At Tommy Robinson's 'Unite the Kingdom' rally in London on 13 September 2025, Advance UK was listed as a sponsor of the event.[18] Habib was a speaker at the rally, which saw a turnout between 110,000 and 150,000.[19][20]
Launch
[edit]The party was due to hold an official launch event at the Crowne-Plaza Hotel in Newcastle upon Tyne on 27 September. However, after criticism, the hotel management cancelled the booking on health and safety grounds, according to Newcastle City Council.[21][22] Habib told supporters on Twitter that the party would still launch in Newcastle.[21]
In November 2025, Wootton Bridge Community Centre on the Isle of Wight, where 100 Advance UK supporters had met, was placed under review by the Charity Commission over alleged political activity.[23]
On 4 December 2025, the party was registered with the Electoral Commission to run candidates in Great Britain.[24] Edward Oakenfull, the party's treasurer, was previously the Reform candidate for Derbyshire Dales in 2024; but was dropped over his comments on the IQ of sub-Saharan Africans.[25]
Post-launch
[edit]In January 2026, The Independent reported that both Advance UK and Britain First were selling official merchandise manufactured in China and Pakistan.[26]
In Februrary, it was announced that Nick Buckley, who formerly stood as an independent to be Greater Manchester Mayor, would be standing for the party in the 2026 Gorton and Denton by-election.[27][28][29] He has campaigned on setting up a local grooming gangs inquiry, an anti-knife crime project and holding monthly meetings to hold police chiefs to account.[30]
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 Muslim Burqa and call to prayer.[31][32][better source needed] The Emmanuel Centre was criticised by groups including Christians for a Welcoming Britain for hosting what they described as a "far-right political conference".[33]
Nick Buckley contested the Gorton and Denton by-election in February 2026 for Advance, coming seventh with 155 votes, behind Sir Oink-a-lot of the Official Monster Raving Loony Party.[34]
Ideology and policy
[edit]The party has been described as "far-right" by The Guardian, The Evening Standard, The National, Nation.Cymru, and HuffPost UK,[35][36][37][38][39] while the Daily Mirror has described it as 'hard-right'.[40] The Spectator, The Daily Telegraph and BBC News have more broadly labelled it as 'right-wing'.[41][42][43] Suzanne Breen in the Belfast Telegraph referred to the party as right-wing.[44] The party has been described by Sean O'Grady in The Independent as part of the fringe far-right, and as potentially extremist.[11] The Joseph Rowntree Foundation described Advance UK's founding conference in the North East as "a troubling development" and described the party as right-wing.[45] Chetan Bhatt in an article published in Ethnic and Racial Studies outlined how the party was adopting anti-migrant sentiments, and alliances that were promoting racism through themes of migration, crime, and civilisational decline.[46]
In the Financial Times, Anna Gross wrote that Habib was working to prevent Nigel Farage from winning the next UK general election, and that the more hardline Advance UK could take votes from those who consider Farage too moderate.[16] Further, Alex Kane of The Irish News suggested in September 2025 that Advance was "in danger of becoming an anti-Farage party rather than a genuine alternative to Reform".[47]
In April 2025, Habib announced that the Integrity Party would abolish quangos created under Tony Blair and enact "Liz Truss style" tax-cuts.[10]
Advance professes principles such as sovereignty, freedom of speech, democracy, and equality before the law. It also stands for "Christian constitutional values" and rejects the influence of institutions such as the United Nations, the World Health Organization and the World Economic Forum.[8]
Habib, who previously signed the Reform UK-TUV pact, told the News Letter that he "hopes anything his new party does in Northern Ireland will be with the TUV". He also said that "Farage doesn't stand" for the Acts of Union.[48]
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".[16]
Local government
[edit]As of February 2026, 11 councillors represent Advance UK.[49]
In January 2026, Durham County Councillor Paul Bean joined the party. Hope Not Hate previously suggested this defection would happen in an article published after his suspension from Reform UK over comments about asylum seekers.[50][51][52]
| Council | Councillors |
|---|---|
| Amber Valley | 2 / 42
|
| Devon | 2 / 60
|
| Doncaster | 2 / 55
|
| Durham | 1 / 98
|
| Kensington and Chelsea[1] | 1 / 98
|
| Sandwell | 1 / 72
|
| Walsall | 1 / 60
|
Structure
[edit]The party plans to create a 'college' of representatives that will vote for proposed policies, and is intended to guide the party's board of directors and the executive, consisting of the party leaders.[8][11] According to The Telegraph, those recruited for the 'college' include Katie Waissel and Howard Cox.[9][53] Sean O'Grady described the arrangement as 'complicated' and likely to lead to internal friction.[11]
In a Sky News article discussing right-wing and extreme bias on Twitter, Habib described the platform as vital for Advance UK. He also stated that all of the party's membership had arrived via Twitter, podcasts, YouTube, and other social media platforms.[54]
Habib claims to have put £100,000 into the party and said it has raised £600,000 from other sources.[55]
In Wales
[edit]Advance UK's Welsh branch was led by Richard Taylor, a previous candidate for the Brexit Party in the 2019 general election, and Abolish the Welsh Assembly Party at the 2021 Senedd election.[38] In December 2025, in an interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wootton, Taylor called for the expulsion of Islam from the UK.[56] He later resigned in January 2026.[57]
Taylor has criticised the new director for Wales, Pete Prosser, and called for Habib to intervene and not stand any candidates in the 2026 Senedd election.[58]
In Cardiff, anti-fascist group Stand Up to Racism persuaded the venue to cancel the Wales launch booking in October 2025.[59] The Brunswick Arms in Swansea was boycotted and sent a petition by local residents, after it hosted a meeting.[60]
In December 2025, in an interview with former GB News presenter Dan Wootton, Taylor called for the expulsion of Islam from the UK.[61]
In Northern Ireland
[edit]In July 2025, Habib told the News Letter that he hoped to work alongside Jim Allister and the TUV in Northern Ireland. He said that "Farage doesn't stand" for the Acts of Union.[62]
Aileen Quinton, whose mother Alberta was killed in the IRA's Enniskillen bombing in 1987, is a member of the party's college.[63][53]
In November 2025, Habib was criticised after he told Hilary Schan, who advocated for Irish unity at the Your Party conference, to "Go to the Republic".[64] Suzanne Breen of the Belfast Telegraph reported that the party has 600 members in Northern Ireland, and is preparing to register there.[64]
See also
[edit]References
[edit]- ^ a b "Open Council Data UK - All Seats Held by Advance UK (Latest)". www.opencouncildata.co.uk. Retrieved 30 March 2026.
- ^ "Migrants: TUV distances itself from Reform UK drowning remarks". BBC News. 27 April 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ "Reform UK deputy leader says UK should 'absolutely' let migrants drown in the Channel". The Independent. 24 April 2024. Retrieved 21 March 2026.
- ^ Habib, Ben. "Ben Habib: Farage fired me, but Reform can't be a one-man band". Archived from the original on 6 December 2025. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Savage, Claudia (19 September 2024). "Nigel Farage to give up majority of shares in Reform UK Ltd". The Irish News. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ Mata, William (29 November 2024). "Who is Ben Habib and why did he leave Reform?". The Standard. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b "Former Conservative MP Andrea Jenkyns joins Reform UK". BBC News. 28 November 2024. Retrieved 9 January 2026.
- ^ a b c d e Self, Josh (30 June 2025). "Ex-Reform deputy launches new party to rival Nigel Farage". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 30 June 2025.
- ^ a b Holl-Allen, Genevieve (27 August 2025). "Revealed: Elon Musk urged Farage rival to set up new party". The Telegraph.
- ^ a b c Hazell, Will (24 April 2025). "The new right-wing party that wants to put Farage's Reform out of business". The i Paper. Retrieved 24 April 2025.
- ^ a b c d e O'Grady, Sean (30 June 2025). "How does Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain differ from Reform UK?". The Independent. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
- ^ Sherwood, Harriet; Quinn, Ben (1 November 2024). "'He's like a gangster': How Tommy Robinson became leader of Britain's far right". The Guardian. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ "Top 'Tommy Robinson' organiser joins Ben Habib's Advance UK". Searchlight. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
- ^ Peters, Tony (3 August 2025). "Tommy Robinson joins Ben Habib's Advance UK". Searchlight. Retrieved 3 August 2025.
- ^ Frayne, James (4 August 2025). "Tommy Robinson is the perfect enemy for Nigel Farage". The Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 5 August 2025.
- ^ a b c Gross, Anna (29 August 2025). "Can a UK party backed by Elon Musk outflank Nigel Farage on the right?". Financial Times. Retrieved 26 September 2025.
- ^ Independent reporters (26 August 2025). "Elon Musk launches fresh attack on 'weak' Nigel Farage". The Independent. Retrieved 27 August 2025.
- ^ "Prepare for revolution now, Elon Musk tells London rally as police come under attack". The Observer. 14 September 2025. Retrieved 14 September 2025.
- ^ "Dozens of officers injured as up to 150,000 join Tommy Robinson rally". BBC News. 13 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ "Elon Musk tells Tommy Robinson protest 'violence is coming' in call for change in UK government". The Independent. 13 September 2025. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ a b "Hotel cancels launch event for Tommy Robinson-backed political party". The Independent. 24 September 2025. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "'Advance UK 'will still launch' despite hotel block'". BBC News. 25 September 2025. Retrieved 25 September 2025.
- ^ "Charity Commission looking into "political activity" at community centre". Isle of Wight County Press. 28 November 2025. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "View registration". The Electoral Commission. Retrieved 5 December 2025.
- ^ "Reform UK drops three candidates over offensive comments". BBC News. 29 June 2024. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ Burgess, Sanya (31 December 2025). "UK nationalist parties sell patriotic merchandise made in... Pakistan and China". The i Paper. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ "New party Advance UK unveils by-election candidate". BBC News. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ "Gorton and Denton by-election candidates confirmed with 11 in the race – full list". Manchester Evening News. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ "Full list of Gorton and Denton by-election candidates". 3 February 2026. Retrieved 4 February 2026.
- ^ Carter, Gary (12 February 2026). "Denton candidate vows to Advance tackling of town's issues". Tameside Correspondent. Retrieved 15 February 2026.
- ^ "London: Why did a church host a far-right political conference?". ICN. 8 February 2026. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Peacock, Ruth (9 February 2026). "Religion news 9 February 2026". Religion Media Centre. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Birrell, Donna (9 February 2026). "Christian venue condemned for hosting 'far-right' political conference". Premier Christian News. Retrieved 9 February 2026.
- ^ Waddington, Marc (27 February 2026). "Why Tories' worst-ever result cost them £500". BBC News North West. Retrieved 2 March 2026.
- ^ Grierson, Jamie (15 September 2025). "Who were the key figures at the Unite the Kingdom rally in London?". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 15 September 2025.
- ^ Howe, Megan (27 August 2025). "Elon Musk backs Tommy Robinson and blasts Nigel Farage as Reform pledges deportations". The Standard. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ "Hotel cancels launch event for new far-right party backed by Tommy Robinson". The National. 24 September 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ a b Mansfield, Mark (14 August 2025). "Far right party linked to 'Tommy Robinson' allowed to promote itself at Welsh Show". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 15 August 2025.
- ^ "Elon Musk Re-Ignites Farage Feud With Attack On His Mass Deportation Plan". HuffPost UK. 27 August 2025. Archived from the original on 27 August 2025. Retrieved 31 August 2025.
- ^ "Shameless Musk shows support for Tommy Robinson after reigniting Farage feud". The Mirror. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 28 August 2025.
- ^ Heale, James (1 July 2025). "Can these Farage rivals' start-ups hurt Reform?". The Spectator. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "Hotel owned by Labour council cancels new Right-wing party's event". www.telegraph.co.uk. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ "New party Advance UK unveils Gorton and Denton by-election candidate". www.bbc.com. 4 February 2026. Retrieved 28 February 2026.
- ^ Breen, Suzanne (27 October 2025). "Why Nigel Farage could be a headache for unionist parties in Northern Ireland". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 18 November 2025.
- ^ "Beyond the flags: grief, polarisation and the work of repair". Joseph Rowntree Foundation. 26 September 2025. Retrieved 1 November 2025.
- ^ Bhatt, Chetan (17 September 2025). "Antiracism and the current moment". Ethnic and Racial Studies: 1–20. doi:10.1080/01419870.2025.2555562. ISSN 0141-9870.
- ^ Kane, Alex (19 September 2025). "Alex Kane: Will Nigel Farage get lucky and complete the revolution?". The Irish News. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Former Reform chief Ben Habib sets up new party to take on Nigel Farage - with endorsement from Elon Musk". Belfast News Letter. 1 July 2025. Retrieved 24 September 2025.
- ^ "Party Totals Archive 2016-25". Open Council Data UK.
- ^ Gregory (15 August 2025). "First Reform UK Councillor defects to Advance?". HOPE not hate. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ "Reform UK suspends Durham councillor over asylum comments". BBC News. 27 August 2025. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ Edgar, Bill (16 January 2026). "Councillors joins Advance UK". Asian Standard. Retrieved 21 January 2026.
- ^ a b "College". Advance UK. Retrieved 10 January 2026.
- ^ Tosh, Kaitlin; Simon, Michelle Inez (6 November 2025). "How the world's richest man is boosting the British right". Sky News. Retrieved 10 November 2025.
- ^ Quinn, Ben (15 February 2026). "UK far right lines up behind Rupert Lowe in challenge to Reform". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 16 February 2026.
- ^ Mansfield, Mark (19 December 2025). "Far right activist calls for 'all forms of Islam' to be expelled from Britain". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 5 March 2026.
- ^ Mansfield, Mark (31 January 2026). "Foul-mouthed activist quits as Welsh leader of far-right party that considers Farage too left wing". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 6 March 2026.
- ^ Mansfield, Mark (6 March 2026). "Reform-backing activist ramps up racist rhetoric". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 7 March 2026.
- ^ Mansfield, Mark (3 October 2025). "Tommy Robinson-linked party's launch in Wales halted". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ "Petition launched as locals boycott The Brunswick Arms over far‑right event". Swansea Bay News. 20 November 2025. Retrieved 6 December 2025.
- ^ Mansfield, Mark (19 December 2025). "Far right activist calls for 'all forms of Islam' to be expelled from Britain". Nation.Cymru. Retrieved 6 January 2026.
- ^ Kane, Alex (1 July 2025). "Former Reform chief Ben Habib sets up new party to take on Nigel Farage – with endorsement from Elon Musk". Belfast News Letter. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ Breen, Suzanne (3 October 2025). "TUV reluctant to line up behind 'unionism's best friend in Britain'". Belfast Telegraph. ISSN 0307-1235. Retrieved 7 January 2026.
- ^ a b Breen, Suzanne (4 December 2025). "Ben Habib rapped over 'move to Republic' jibe at leading Your Party member after Irish unity comment". BelfastTelegraph.co.uk. ISSN 0307-1235.