Reform UK’s Rise Threatens Britain’s Muslim Communities, Hyphen Finds 2026

Key Points

• Reform UK, once a fringe party, secured four million votes in the 2024 general election and now controls 10 local authorities.
• Polling by JL Partners for the Telegraph suggests Reform could win up to 69 of 136 councils in the May 7 elections, including Birmingham with large Muslim populations.
• Immigration forms the party’s core, with plans for a “U.K. Deportation Command” for mass removals of irregular migrants, announced by Zia Yusuf at the February Dover conference.
• Policies include abolishing Indefinite Leave to Remain, replacing it with five-year visas requiring higher salaries, English fluency, and strict character checks, impacting 622,000–820,000 non-EU holders and up to four million EU citizens.
• Census data indicates nationals from Muslim-majority countries like Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, and Afghanistan make up 12.4% of migrants; Nigeria and India add 11.7%, with 25% of UK Muslims lacking British passports.
• 85% of small boat asylum seekers since 2018 hail from Muslim-majority countries, facing Reform’s deportation pledge for over 500,000.
• Nigel Farage labels British Muslims a “fifth column,” claims nearly half support Hamas, and criticises Eid prayers in Trafalgar Square as intimidation.
• Party proposes banning church-to-mosque conversions, though Hyphen found only two Church of England sites converted since 1960s—both to Sikh gurdwaras.
• Candidates exposed with Islamophobic views: one self-described “proud Islamophobe,” others sharing Britain First content or calling Islam “a cancer.”
• Diversity efforts include Muslim-background Zia Yusuf as home affairs spokesperson and former chair, Laila Cunningham as 2028 London mayoral candidate, and defectors like Nadhim Zahawi; over 8% of 2024 voters non-white British.
• Professor Tahir Abbas of Aston University notes Farage’s careful Islamophobic rhetoric in a normalised hostile landscape.
• Healthcare plans shift NHS funds to private providers; Farage questions taxation model sustainability, causing internal splits.
• Muslims prioritise healthcare, with over 25% over 50 reporting poor health; many live in deprived areas facing cuts.
• Abbas and Parveen Akhtar argue diversity deflects racism accusations while appealing to minorities and wavering whites.
• Yusuf resigned briefly in 2025 after opposing a burqa ban, amid far-right backlash like Laurence Fox’s “Mohammedan” slur.
• Local control could affect schools, libraries, waste in Muslim-heavy areas.

Hyphen (Britain Today News) – April 28, 2026 – Reform UK’s meteoric ascent from protest party to local powerbroker spells profound risks for Britain’s nearly four million Muslims, a Hyphen investigation reveals. Polling forecasts the party seizing up to 69 councils on May 7, thrusting its anti-immigration zeal and pointed Islam critiques into everyday governance, especially in diverse hubs like Birmingham.

What Fuels Reform UK’s Rapid Rise to Local Power?

Reform UK shattered records with four million votes in the 2024 general election, outpacing any modern challenger. It now governs 10 local authorities. JL Partners polling for the Telegraph projects dominance in 69 of 136 councils up for grabs on May 7. Birmingham, home to a hefty Muslim populace, looms large among targets. This surge positions Muslims under Reform-led rule for the first time, amplifying Hyphen’s warnings of disproportionate fallout.

The party pivots on immigration as “Broken Britain’s” cure-all. At February’s Dover conference, Zia Yusuf, home affairs spokesperson of Muslim Sri Lankan heritage, unveiled the “U.K. Deportation Command” for mass expulsions of irregular entrants. Broader pledges scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain for five-year visas demanding steep salaries, mandatory English, and rigorous vetting. Hyphen estimates 622,000–820,000 non-EU passport holders and four million EU citizens in the crosshairs.

How Would Reform’s Immigration Policies Hit Muslim Communities Hardest?

Muslim impacts dwarf others. 2021 census figures show 12.4% of migrants from Pakistan, Bangladesh, Iran, Iraq, Turkey, Afghanistan—all Muslim-majority. Nigeria and India contribute 11.7%, both with big Muslim cohorts. About a quarter of UK Muslims hold no British passport. Reform eyes deporting over 500,000 Channel crossers; Hyphen notes 85% since 2018 from Muslim nations.

This blueprint singles out Islam explicitly, diverging from past populism. Leader Nigel Farage brands British Muslims a “fifth column,” alleges half back Hamas and spurn British values, and slams Trafalgar Square Eid prayers as bids to

“overtake, intimidate and dominate our way of life.”

The manifesto bars converting disused churches to mosques—a “incendiary” notion from Yusuf. Yet Hyphen’s probe uncovered just two Church of England conversions post-1960s, both to Sikh gurdwaras; no mosques confirmed.

Why Have Reform Candidates Faced Repeated Islamophobia Scandals?

Vetting lapses abound. In 2024, candidates boasted racist, Islamophobic baggage—one a “proud Islamophobe.” Elected councillors shared far-right Britain First posts. Pre-May polls unearthed more: social media rants dubbing Islam “a cancer.” Professor Tahir Abbas, criminology expert at Aston University, told Hyphen Farage wields familiar tropes but treads rhetorical bounds in a landscape where anti-Muslim hostility feels routine.

Can Reform’s Diversity Push Mask Its Core Agenda?

Reform courts inclusivity. Yusuf, millionaire ex-chair, streamlined operations. Laila Cunningham eyes 2028 London mayoralty. High-profile Tory jumps like Nadhim Zahawi bolster ranks. Over 8% of 2024 voters shunned white British identity—progress from Farage’s UKIP era.

Abbas and co-author Parveen Akhtar, Aston politics lecturer, contend this shields Farage from racism charges, wooing ethnic minorities and squeamish whites. Tensions flare: Yusuf’s role drew far-right ire, with Laurence Fox sneering a

“Britain-focused party cannot have a Mohammedan as the chair.”

Protests prompted membership cancellations. Yusuf quit briefly in 2025, rebuking a Reform MP’s burqa ban call; Farage blamed “racist attacks” on his chairman.

What Local Control Means for Everyday Muslim Lives?

Local wins extend claws into essentials. Councils shape schools, libraries, waste—now in Reform crosshairs for Muslim-dense zones. Healthcare ranks tops for Muslim voters; National Aids Trust data shows over 25% over 50 in poor health. Many dwell in austerity-battered deprived spots.

Reform vows NHS free access but funnels billions to private firms. Farage doubts taxation-national insurance viability, flirting with insurance models. Rifts emerge: Welsh leader nixes privatisation; a London MP stays “open to anything.”

Will Reform’s Council Wins Translate to Competent Governance?

Abbas urges caution. Reform’s councils spotlight greenhorn councillors; ideology trumps nous. Translating votes to delivery stays unproven. Yet symbolism stings: a party with Farage’s “fifth column” barbs, cancer-Islam candidates, and deportation machinery skewed Muslim-ward, eyeing dozens of councils. A decade ago, unimaginable.

For Muslims, May 7 gauges political drift—consequences no longer distant.