Jump to content

Advance UK

Add links
Page semi-protected
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Advance UK
Chairpersonnot yet elected
LeaderBen Habib
FoundersChristian Russell, Richard J. Shaw, Mohammad Shoaib Sohail[1]
Founded30 June 2025
Split fromReform UK
Devolved branchesAdvance UK Scotland
Advance UK Wales
Political positionFar-right[2]
SloganOur Future Together
Website
https://www.advanceuk.org.uk/

Advance UK is a far-right[2] British political party led by Ben Habib, the former Deputy Leader of Reform UK. The party was launched in 2025 following Habib's departure from the party, in November 2024, due to internal disagreements and a reported fallout with Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf.

History

Ben Habib, who had fallen out of favour with Nigel Farage and left Reform UK, had stated his intention to form a party to the right of Reform.[3]

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.[4] Habib stated that he intended to make sure the party was properly set up and organised before applying to the Electoral Commission for registration.[4]

On 30 June 2025, Habib announced that he had launched a political party, Advance UK. He aims to reach 30,000 members.[3] The party has the same legal identity as the Integrity Party, with the limited company previously named as the Integrity Party having been renamed as the Advance UK Party Limited.[2]

The party’s launch coincided with the announcement of Restore Britain, a organisation set up by another former Reform UK member, independent MP Rupert Lowe.

Richard Inman, an event organiser for prominent far-right[5][6] activist Tommy Robinson, and member of UKIP's National Executive Committee (NEC), announced on 4 July 2025, that he had joined the party.[7] Robinson himself joined the party in early August, posting a video endorsing the party, recorded in advance as he had left the country following an alleged assault suspected to be committed by him in late July.[8]

Ideology

Habib, who previously served as a Brexit Party MEP for London from 2019 until 2020, and later stood as the Reform UK parliamentary candidate in both the 2024 Wellingborough by-election, and in Wellingborough and Rushden at the 2024 general election, announced the creation of Advance UK with the stated aim of "saving the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland." The party emphasizes principles such as national sovereignty, freedom of speech, democracy, and equality before the law.[3]

In April 2025, he described that the then Integrity Party would remove all of the Quangos created by Tony Blair, and enact "Liz Truss style" tax-cuts.[4]

The party has been described by Sean O’Grady in The Independent as 'quite possibly' extremist and amongst the far-right fringe parties.[2]

Structure

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. [3][2] The arrangement has been described by Sean O'Grady in The Independent as complicated and likely to lead to internal friction.[2]

On 13 July, Advance UK Wales, the Welsh branch of the party, was created and is currently led by Richard Taylor.[citation needed]

See also

References

  1. ^ "ADVANCE UK PARTY LIMITED people - Find and update company information - GOV.UK". find-and-update.company-information.service.gov.uk. Retrieved 2025-07-25.
  2. ^ a b c d e f O'Grady, Sean (30 June 2025). "How does Rupert Lowe's Restore Britain differ from Reform UK?". The Independent. Retrieved 3 July 2025.
  3. ^ a b c d Self, Josh (2025-06-30). "Ex-Reform deputy launches new party to rival Nigel Farage". Politics.co.uk. Retrieved 2025-06-30.
  4. ^ a b c Hazell, Will (2025-04-24). "The new right-wing party that wants to put Farage's Reform out of business". The i Paper. Retrieved 2025-04-24.
  5. ^ "Tommy Robinson loses appeal against prison sentence". BBC. 16 April 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  6. ^ "He's like a gangster': How Tommy Robinson became leader of Britain's far right". The Guardian. 1 November 2024. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  7. ^ "Top 'Tommy Robinson' organiser joins Ben Habib's Advance UK". Searchlight. 4 July 2025. Retrieved 5 July 2025.
  8. ^ Peters, Tony (2025-08-03). "Tommy Robinson joins Ben Habib's Advance UK | Searchlight". Retrieved 2025-08-03.
Retrieved from "https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Advance_UK&oldid=1304214550"