TL;DR
- Reform UK MP Danny Kruger claimed the UK could soon be run by an “LGBT-supporting” party.
- Nigel Farage is under pressure to denounce the remarks.
- Kruger also referenced “Hamas-supporting” in the same rant, sparking outrage.
- Critics warn Reform is promoting divisive and harmful rhetoric.
- Farage previously dismissed anti-LGBT claims about “stable” families.
Farage Under Fire After MP’s Anti-LGBT Rant
Reform UK is spiraling into yet another self-inflicted controversy — and this time, the target is the LGBTQ community. Nigel Farage is being pushed to denounce comments made by his own MP, Danny Kruger, who claimed that Britain could soon be ruled by what he described as an “appalling Hamas-supporting, LGBT-supporting nationalist party.” Because apparently, supporting queer people and rejecting hate is now something to panic about?
Kruger, the East Wiltshire MP who ditched the Conservatives just last month, made the remarks during a Reform UK interview posted on the party’s YouTube channel. While talking about what he dramatically called a “kaleidoscope of left-wing parties,” he painted a dystopian picture of a post-election Britain where nationalists, Labour, Greens, Liberal Democrats, and even Jeremy Corbyn unite in support of LGBTQ rights and, bizarrely, Hamas. The leap from rainbow flags to terrorist organizations was as wild as it was irresponsible — a tactic straight out of the oldest political fear-mongering playbook: lump innocent communities in with extremist threats to spark panic.
Farage, who loves the spotlight when it suits him, is now facing calls to step up and condemn his colleague’s comments. His track record isn’t helping. Just days ago, he shrugged off Reform MP Sarah Pochin’s complaint that seeing Black and Asian people in advertisements made her “mad,” refusing to call the remark racist. Apparently, the word “ugly” was the strongest criticism he could muster.
A Pattern of Dog-Whistle Politics
Kruger doubled down on Reform’s go-it-alone bravado, declaring: “The only way to stop that is Reform… you’ve got to join us.” His pitch made it clear: inclusivity is the enemy, and Reform sees itself as Britain’s last defense against diversity. For a party that claims to represent “real British values,” it’s telling how often those values exclude LGBTQ people, migrants, and anyone who doesn’t fit a narrow, nostalgic vision of the UK.
Labour MP Polly Billington slammed Kruger’s rant as “outdated and out-of-line,” warning that “British values of decency, compassion and respect are under threat from Reform.” Many across the political spectrum agree that the party is peddling division for votes — a strategy that may fire up fringe supporters but leaves LGBTQ people and other minorities vulnerable to rising hate.
And let’s not forget Kruger’s track record. At a Conservative-aligned conference last year, he claimed heterosexual marriage was “the only basis for a safe and successful society.” When asked about it recently, Farage gave a word-salad answer that only fueled the criticism, saying “children who have two stable parents have a better chance in life,” and adding that the most “stable” relationships are “between men and women.”
Sure, Nigel — except the LGBTQ community continues to prove that love, stability, and family aren’t limited to one mold.