Menu
Anti-UKIP counter-protest in Blackpool; Reform illusions meet reality

Anti-UKIP counter-protest in Blackpool; Reform illusions meet reality

, , ,

Last weekend’s UKIP anti-immigration rally in Blackpool was a flop, but the left-wing counter-protest was nothing to write home about either. Meanwhile, Reform and Restore student societies are kicking up a fuss in York universities.

UKIP Blackpool demo flops – but the left is lacking

Jess Norris and Callum Parkinson, Preston

On Saturday 30 May, a UKIP anti-immigration rally took place outside an asylum hotel in Blackpool.

To oppose this provocation, a counter-demonstration was organised, which a dozen RCP comrades from Preston and Lancaster attended in order to better understand the situation in the area, and to find potential recruits who agree with our programme and perspectives.

Over the past decade, UKIP – previously Nigel Farage’s eurosceptic outfit – have been hollowed out, swept into obscurity, and left to the more hardcore far-right and fascist, elements who’ve dragged the party further to the right.

Their base of support is now the most alienated and lumpenised layers of the working class, which makes Blackpool – the most deprived local authority area in England – a potential relative stronghold for them and the far right more broadly.

The UKIP leader Tenconi has clearly set his sights on the area, vowing at the demo to win both of the town’s parliamentary seats.

Despite these lofty ambitions, their numbers throughout the day were underwhelming, reaching a peak of around 150 during their march but dwindling at points to just tens of ‘patriots’.

This is not a formidable force by any means. A half-decent mobilisation by the left and workers’ organisations could have easily ran these freaks out of town.

UKIP didn’t achieve a great deal on the day, other than a few scuffles with the police, which led to a few of their activists being arrested.

Despite being advertised nationally, and Tenconi travelling hundreds of miles to address his followers, their day out was a complete flop. This reveals the weakness of these fringe groups as an organised force.

Counter-demonstration

Unfortunately, the counter-demonstration suffered from a lack of any real plan or direction. Such was the vacuum that our chants linking the fight against the right to the fight against capitalism made us stand out, and drew a handful of people towards us.

RCP comrades in Blackpool
RCP comrades assembled in Blackpool.

Despite the fact that we were not the main organisers of the counter-demo, people were asking us what to do, and looked to us for a lead. Many of them stayed with us to discuss further, and buy The Communist.

We explained that the left and trade union leaders could easily mobilise their members to effectively defend the working class against any far-right threat if they wanted to – but that they won’t because they are mired in reformism and moralism, and have no faith in the working class to change society.

From there, it was easy to explain the need for a communist party to take a revolutionary Marxist programme to the rank and file of the Labour movement. One college student we spoke to came to Preston the next day to discuss Issue 47 of The Communist with us, and find out how to build such a party!

Throwing toys out of the pram

Alex Zucchelli-Redshaw, York

I recently came across an article by The Telegraph entitled ‘Bullied, harassed and cast out: What it’s like to be a Reform student’.

The article, which features testimonies from Reform students at York University, is accompanied by an Avengers Assemble style photoshoot.

We are told how hard it is as a student supporting Reform; how in some cases it can lead to falling out with friends, social isolation from flatmates, and nobody wanting to live with you for the next academic year.

Let us take this time to shed a tear for these students who must have it extremely hard. What we are witnessing is a classic example of a child throwing their toys out of the pram because the majority of students hate the reactionary views that they hold!

The article tries to frame these attacks against Reform students as attacks on ‘free speech’ and safety on campus – what utter hypocrites!

Reform’s policies, rhetoric and programme have led to real physical attacks and threats towards immigrants and British Muslims, from stabbings, mosques attacks and threatening the rights of those with permanent leave to remain.

Yet we are told to be upset for one student from York when told she couldn’t live with her housemates next year because “they disagreed politically”.

What The Telegraph, as per usual, decided to leave out of this sob story was that Reform and their policies are whipping up actual violence, notably seen during the pogroms two summers ago.

Let us also remember, support for Reform amongst the youth and particularly at universities stands at only five percent, and Reform societies remain a fringe group on campus.

The youth and students on campus reject Reform because their ideas, policies and programme threaten and have led to racist attacks, alongside offering nothing positive for their future. The Telegraph – please take note.

First ratified Restore Britain university society

Paige, York

York St. John (YSJ) has become the first university in Britain to officially ratify a Restore Britain Society. 15 days later, University of York (UoY) followed suit, making York the first city in Britain to have two official Restore Britain societies.

Headed by demagogue Rupert Lowe, Reform UK’s uglier sister aims to appeal to the dregs of society with policies ranging from mass deportation to the introduction of a ‘Red List’ that limits entry from countries “proven” to supply Britain ‘with sex pests, criminals and rapists’ – a dog-whistle for Muslim, black and Asian people.

On 12 May, the day the UoY society was ratified, the student union claimed that the ratification ‘is not an endorsement’ and is subject to conditions of adherence to the ‘YorkSU Member Code of Conduct’.

However, many students have rightly pointed to the hypocrisy laden within this statement, providing evidence of the society holding a ‘Detain & Deport’ themed social. Yet the SU has remained silent. To date, at least seven UoY societies have published statements against the ratification.

At YSJ, the story is very similar. With the management’s previous lacklustre handling of sexual harassment reports, there is little reason for students to feel confident that racial harassment will be treated with any seriousness either. In fact, students at both universities have taken matters into their own hands, organising protests against the SU ratification across February, April, and May!

It is clear we cannot have faith in the SU to protect students from Restore’s reactionary politics. We must rely on our organised collective strength to kick these bastards off our campuses and out of our cities!

Reform’s support in East Durham; a mile wide but an inch thick

Scarlet Forrest, Teesside

The local elections of May 2025 in County Durham represented an abject humiliation for the Labour Party. In an area that was previously a Labour heartland, their seats in County Hall haemorrhaged from 53 in 2021 down to a staggeringly low four.

This absolute hammering in the first council to ever be totally controlled by the Labour Party was celebrated by Reform, who in 2025 took control of the council with 65 seats out of 98.

However, these celebrations seem to have been short lived. Discontent is starting to bubble under the surface due to increased council tax, as well as cutting council tax rebates for the poorest in the county, increasing bills for around 26,000 of the poorest workers.

Even in Wheatley Hill which was the area with the largest share of the vote for Reform in the 2025 elections at 65.1 percent has been affected by this. I spend a significant amount of time in this old mining village, and even the most ardent of previous Reform supporters are turning away from the party.

Contrary to what Guardian journalists and liberal commentators will tell you, these people are not stupid, racist knuckle-dragging northerners. They voted for Reform out of desperation for change from the Labour Party and independent groups who have let them down for over a generation.

Now they are starting to be disabused of the illusion that Reform would turn mining areas shattered by deindustrialisation and austerity into the land of milk and honey. Their support has been a mile wide, but it is proving to be an inch thin.

Related Posts