Reform UK’s growing political support invites an examination of the party’s priorities and its emerging approach to foreign policy. The Next Century Foundation´s Research Officer, Olwyn Matthews, takes up the challenge:
Since its origins as the Brexit party in 2018, Reform UK has maintained a strong focus on immigration, Zia Yusuf (Head of Policy for Reform UK) naming UK return agreements for irregular or unauthorised migrants as the party’s “almighty foreign policy campaign”. Since the 2024 General Election, Reform UK’s primary policy document remains the party’s manifesto, “Our Contract With You”. Whilst Reform UK party members refer back to the core policies of this document, their ongoing discussion and media comments on foreign policy matters provide current insight into how a Reform UK government would approach foreign affairs.
Despite only having 5 MPs in the 650-seat House of Commons, Reform UK have topped recent opinion polls on voting intention in Parliament, reaching 31% in 2025. These results are far above the next contender, the Conservative party, with 18% voting intention. Polling offers a snapshot of voting decisions but makes the prospect of Reform UK success in the 2029 general election much more likely than in 2024.
Reform UK’s Approach to Foreign Affairs
With a populist party so focused on anti-migration and fuelling Euroscepticism, the increased probability of a successful campaign leaves many to question how a Reform government would approach foreign affairs. This is particularly relevant in an international arena with emerging populist parties favouring nationalism and the rejection of international community.
President Trump’s Administration
Reform UK’s approach to the US is mainly derived from Leader of Reform UK, the MP Nigel Farage’s public admiration for President Trump and their personal relationship. Generally, party members praise Trump’s administration, and it can be expected that their foreign policy would be closely aligned with Trump’s direction. Alan Mendoza, Reform UK foreign affairs advisor (Alan is also founder of the small right wing think tank, the Henry Jackson Society), has commended Trump’s “decisive” politics, particularly with regard to the Trump brokered Gaza Peace Plan of October 2025. In response to the recent US invasion of Venezuela, Farage commented the move by Trump was “contrary to international law”, but if it makes China and Russia “think twice, it may be a good thing”.
It is clear from Reform UK’s outlook on foreign affairs that its policy would follow a similar trajectory to the Trump administration. However, this personal relationship does not provide any clear foreign policy plan or confirm US support.
Israel
Reform UK has no clear policy on Israel or Palestine, but members of the party have shown strong support towards Israel. Farage has rejected the idea that the UK stop the arms supply to Israel and also opposes the arrest warrant for Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu by the International Criminal Court (ICC). MP Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK has accused Tom Fletcher, UN humanitarian chief, of “lying with absurd claims” regarding the “UN’s genocide smears” against Israel.
The party itself has displayed support of Israel last year as it founded Reform Friends of Israel, joining similar groups such as Labour Friends of Israel (LFI) and Conservative Friends of Israel (CFI), cementing even further their backing for the State of Israel. Both individual members and the party itself have been outspoken on its support for Israel and, even without an explicit policy, it can be expected that, if elected to office, a Reform government would back the state.
Palestine
With regard to Palestine, many members of the party, including Farage, Mendoza, and Tice have condemned the UK’s decision to recognise the Palestinian state in September 2025. 2023 London Mayoral candidate for Reform UK, Howard Cox, stated in a Reform UK press release, “flying the Palestinian flag in our Capital is needlessly provocative” and, “As London Mayor, I would not allow any pro-Palestinian protests to take place in London whilst the conflict between Israel and Hamas continues in Gaza.”
In response to President Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan announced in October 2025, Farage and Mendoza have publicly celebrated Trump’s “personal diplomacy and intervention”. To reach permanent peace in Gaza, Mendoza claims there are three issues that must be addressed: (i) the disarmament of Hamas and their removal from power, (ii) the governance of Gaza “free of terrorist control”, and (iii) the determination of who will enforce peace.
Russia and Ukraine
Farage has shown a mixed stance towards Russia and Ukraine over the years. Recently, the party has been under scrutiny as its former Welsh leader and Member of European Parliament, Nathan Gill, was jailed in November 2025 for taking bribes to make statements in favour of Russia. In June 2024 Farage made comments implying that the Russian invasion was provoked by NATO advances. After criticism, he then called the invasion “immoral, outrageous, and indefensible”, but that “poking a bear is obviously not good foreign policy”. Despite his previous statements, which imply NATO expansionism is partly to blame for provoking the Russian invasion, Farage now views Ukraine joining NATO as “essential” to a peace deal.
On January 6th 2026, both Britain and France committed troops to Ukraine following the implementation of any peace deal. This was negatively received by Farage, claiming he would vote against sending British soldiers to Ukraine. The Reform leader argues Britain has neither the manpower nor the equipment to commit to an operation with an unknown timeline. This comment was made after 24 world leaders and Ukrainian allies making up the “coalition of the willing” discussed strategic plans post-peace deal.
Farage’s reluctance to send troops to Ukraine has been highlighted by cabinet minister Pat McFadden as a “pro-Russia” outlook, arguing that sending British troops is not just for Ukraine, but is a “British national security interest”. However, Mendoza argued Reform UK’s opposition to the Prime Minister’s Ukraine plans is not because the idea of sending British forces to Ukraine is the “wrong principle”, but that the plan itself is “unviable”. Moreover, Farage’s declaration that he would ensure the UK was a leading NATO force, alongside his recent support for Ukraine´s aspiration to become a NATO state, leaves one to assume that Farage would provide assistance to Ukraine as “once you’re a NATO member, you must be defended”. Reform voters on the other hand show scepticism in regard to the idea of sending British troops and only 4/10 voters are shown to favour the provision of arms to Ukraine.
The current reluctance from both Farage and the party’s voters introduces doubt as to how a Reform government would approach Putin´s Russia in the future and to what extent the party would utilise British forces.
Reflecting on Reform UK’s 2024 General Election Manifesto
“Our Contract With You” remains the most recent written document on Reform UK’s policy. The party’s foreign policy outlined in the document is extremely limited and vague, prioritising anti-immigration policy and arguably demonising foreigners and foreign influence.
Immigration
In 2025, the current Labour government announced their intent to extend the Indefinite Leave to Remain qualifying period from 5 to 10 years, presumed to enter into effect in April 2026. Reform UK’s migration policy sets to erase the Indefinite Leave to Remain status, replaced with a pathway by which migrants would be required to apply for a 5-year work visa. This would be a radical policy change. A salary threshold, at least £60,000 per year, would also be required, linking the number of dependents to the individual’s income, compared to the current (and already high) £41,700 per year requirement. This particular element of their policy would make little difference. If elected, Reform UK would prohibit anyone except British citizens from accessing welfare, raising questions as to the treatment of EU citizens with settled status who can acquire benefits outlined in the Brexit Withdrawal Agreement. The party has also announced plans to implement an “immigration tax” which would increase the national insurance rate to 20% for migrant workers, deterring employees from hiring non-British citizens.
Defence
As part of the Brexit Policy, Reform UK’s Manifesto calls for the “Independence for Britain’s Armed Forces” from the EU Command and Control Force. This would involve abandoning current membership in the EU Horizon programme, stop any financial support of the European Defence Fund, and participation in the EU’s military mobility project.
Defence spending would be increased to 2.5% of the national GDP by Year 3, to 3% by Year 6. This is very similar when compared to Labour’s current spending of 2.5% national GDP in 2027, increasing from 2.3%. Reform UK calls to increase the size of Britain’s Armed Forces by 30,000 troops and to ensure a leadership position in NATO.
The introduction of the “Armed Forces Justice Bill” would “protect” servicemen and women “from civil law and human rights lawyers”. Presumably, this would allow British soldiers who have committed crimes overseas to escape any prosecution.
Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage, has shown mixed support of military intervention over the years, but based on opinion polls, Reform UK voters do not think an active role in foreign affairs is necessary. Less than half of Reform UK voters view this as extremely or very important, with 29% accepting that the UK consider the interests of allies.
Disengagement from International Institutions
What little foreign policy that there is in Reform UK’s Manifesto is limited to immigration, sparse defence policy, and the rejection of the international institutions with the planned exit from several conventions and agreements.
The Manifesto states intent to leave the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) – this is framed in the Manifesto and by Farage as a way to “stop the boats” that is argued to contribute to “uncontrolled Immigration”. If exiting the ECHR, the UK would join Russia and Belarus as the only states to have left or been expelled from the Convention. This would be followed with a replacement of the Human Rights Act 1998 (which authorises the ECHR into domestic UK law) with a “British Bill of Rights” which could involve the re-evaluation of the rights of UK citizens. The suggest altered policy regarding the ECHR and the Human Rights Act 1998 would presumably weaken or remove legal protections for asylum seekers and would re-shape the UK’s approach to settlement in the UK.
A UK departure from the ECHR would also impact the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement (TCA), which itself is under fire in the Manifesto which calls for a round of renegotiations, as it claims a “so-called EU ‘level playing field’ is holding us back”. As the party initially formed as the ‘Brexit Party’, the severing of ties with EU conventions and agreements is not at all surprising.
Climate Change Denial and goodbye to the ICC
Beyond these EU agreements, the manifesto pledges to withdrawal from the World Health Organisation (WHO) and the eradication of any domestic and international goals to reach Net Zero. On Thursday 8th January, MP Richard Tice, Deputy Leader of Reform UK, echoed these plans, now calling for the UK to follow Trump’s move to quit the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change, the organisation that supports the annual COP climate conferences, and the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change, which Tice claims are “failing British voters”.
The disengagement with international agreements can also lead the assumption that Reform UK will very likely ignore any international law. Danny Kruger, Reform UK MP, declared in October 2025 that the party would rewrite UK’s ministerial code, a plan also stated in the party’s Manifesto. The ministerial code refers to “the overarching duty on ministers to comply with the law, including international law and treaty obligations”. Kruger affirmed his “glaring objection” to this code “is that it requires them (the ministers) to acknowledge international law in their decision making. That is an immediate change we would make.” This change would allow or even be shown to encourage policymakers to act even more lawlessly.
This neglect of international law is further evident with the party’s dismissal of the International Criminal Court (ICC) in response to the Chagos deal. The Reform party has declared plans to cancel the current Labour government’s Chagos deal, signed in May 2025. This deal agrees upon the transfer of sovereignty of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius, after people were removed from the territory by the UK in the 1970’s to claim the land for a US military base. Farage argues that giving up Diego Garcia in particular – the largest island crucial for US/UK military interventions – is “the single most important thing that we give America right now”, and this ‘loss’ plays “into China’s hands”.
The International Criminal Court (ICC) published their advisory opinion, demanding the UK cease control over the Chagos Islands and relinquish sovereignty to Mauritius. Farage has dismissed this as “an advisory judgement from the International Criminal Court has no force of legal power whatsoever; indeed, America disregards it so much that it is not even a member.” The UK’s exit from any of these institutions, and lack of participation in the international arena would lose any leadership position the UK may have on the international stage.
Reducing Foreign Aid
Reform UK stated in the run up to the 2024 General Election that it would slash “wasteful” spending, one example being the cutting of foreign aid by 50%. More recently, Reform UK has announced plans to limit foreign aid much further to £1 billion, a decrease from the £14 billion budget in 2024. Approximately £750 million of this sum would be spent to maintain membership of international organisations such as the United Nations, the World Bank and the International Monetary Fund, allocating the rest for “genuine disaster relief”.
This was renounced by Gideon Rabinowitz, Director of Policy and Advocacy at Bond, arguing that such a vast cut in foreign aid would cause “irreversible damage to the UK’s safety net” in an “increasingly unstable world”. With the reduced contributions to international organisations, there would be extreme risk of losing influence in these spaces of international collaboration. A relation can be made to the Trump administration’s “slash and burn” approach to government financing, with the closure of USAID in 2025 felt across the globe.
Conclusion
Reform UK maintains a focus purely on the ‘national interest’, with a lack of appetite to support international causes. Reform UK voters continue to hold more nationalistic views on foreign policy compared to other voters, with a lower level of approval for British action overseas. Generally, with a future Reform UK government, one could expect nationalist, Trump-aligned policy on migration, higher defence spending, slashing ties to international partners, and decreasing foreign aid.
Featured Image: Gage Skidmore from Peoria, AZ, United States of America, CC BY-SA 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons
