John McDonnell has ignited a political firestorm after comparing Reform UK leader Nigel Farage to Adolf Hitler, branding the party a “fascist organisation” and drawing parallels between their treatment of asylum seekers and Nazi persecution of Jews in the 1930s.
The former Shadow Chancellor made the inflammatory remarks at a fringe event during the Trades Union Congress conference in Brighton on Tuesday, prompting immediate condemnation from Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who called the comments “both disgusting and indefensible, but sadly typical of someone so out of touch with reality.”
Speaking to union delegates about the rise of Reform UK, Mr McDonnell declared: “Reform is a proto-fascist organisation. We’ve seen it in the 30s. What they do, they have a demagogue speaking for them, they target a particular group, in the thirties in Germany, it would have been the Jews, here it is asylum seekers. We’ve seen it all before. So what do you do? Well, you have to combat it. You have to combat the arguments. You have to mobilise against them.”
Labour ‘Dancing to Farage’s Tune’
The independent MP for Hayes and Harlington, who lost the Labour whip in July after defying the Government to vote for scrapping the two-child benefit cap, launched a scathing attack on his former party’s response to Reform’s growing influence.
“What’s Labour doing? Labour’s dancing to Farage’s tune,” Mr McDonnell told the TUC meeting. “I hide under the duvet sometimes in the morning, I don’t want to turn on the news to hear another Labour announcement that we’re attacking asylum seekers in some way.”
He warned delegates that the political landscape was shifting dangerously, stating: “Actually, we’re going to lose a Labour Government if we’re not careful, but we’re going to lose it to the far-Right. That means a dangerous moment for many of our communities, a dangerous moment for all of us.”
Backtrack Amid Backlash
Following immediate criticism, Mr McDonnell attempted to walk back his comparison, denying he had likened Mr Farage to Hitler or Reform to the Nazis. He claimed he was merely “warning about the situation as it is and as it could be.”
However, his initial comments were unambiguous in their historical parallels, specifically referencing “the ’30s in Germany” and describing Mr Farage as a “demagogue” targeting vulnerable groups. The comparison drew sharp criticism from across the political spectrum, with commentators pointing out the inflammatory nature of invoking Nazi Germany in contemporary political discourse.
Reform UK Hits Back
Richard Tice, Reform UK’s deputy leader, delivered a robust defence of his party’s immigration stance, stating: “Our country is being overrun by an influx of unvetted, unchecked, fighting-age men. They are costing the taxpayer extraordinary sums and placing an enormous strain on public services.”
He insisted: “The overwhelming majority of the British public agrees. By pledging to end the invasion of our borders and deport those who have no right to be here, we are simply upholding the wishes of the people. This is not an attack on asylum seekers. It is about putting the British people first.”
Echoes of Previous Controversies
The controversy mirrors a similar incident in May when the Prime Minister’s Attorney General, Lord Hermer, compared threats to abandon international law, such as leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, to Nazi Germany. He was forced to backtrack after significant backlash, calling his remarks “clumsy.”
The comparison also comes amid growing tensions over Reform UK’s increasing influence in British politics. The party, which won just four parliamentary seats in last year’s general election but captured 14.3% of the vote, has been setting the terms of political debate, particularly on immigration issues.
Call for ‘Popular Front’ Against Reform
In an interview with Left Foot Forward at the TUC conference, Mr McDonnell called for the left to “learn the lesson of history” to prevent what he described as a “far-right, proto-fascist government” being elected under Reform. He advocated for a “popular front” approach, referencing the 1930s attempts to unite against fascism.
“When they go ahead and set up this new party that’s forming, the most important thing for me is that we learn the lesson of history, particularly the 1930s,” Mr McDonnell stated, referring to the new party being formed by Jeremy Corbyn and Zarah Sultana.
TUC Conference Focuses on Reform Challenge
The controversy erupted as the TUC conference in Brighton has been dominated by discussions on how unions can combat the rise of Reform UK. Delegates passed motions calling on the TUC to “continue to coordinate the trade union movement to counter far right ideologies” and to produce materials supporting union workplace representatives in resisting the far right.
TUC General Secretary Paul Nowak acknowledged that some union members had voted for Reform, driven by disillusionment with mainstream politics. He urged unions to expose “the gap between what Nigel Farage says and what he does,” highlighting that Farage had voted against Labour’s Employment Rights Bill at every opportunity.
Political Climate Shifts
The incident highlights the increasingly fractious nature of British politics as Reform UK continues to gain traction in polls and local elections. Recent surveys have shown significant numbers of Labour voters are “leaning to Reform,” with concerns growing within the labour movement about the party’s appeal to traditional working-class voters.
Nigel Farage, who returned as Reform UK leader in June 2024 and won the Clacton seat at the general election, has positioned his party as ready to govern should Labour falter. At Reform’s recent conference in Birmingham, he told supporters there was “every chance of a general election happening in 2027, and we must be ready for that moment.”
Historical Comparisons Under Fire
Critics have pointed out the dangers of casual Nazi comparisons in political discourse. Writing in response to the controversy, one commentator noted: “If you throw around a phrase like ‘the ’30s in Germany’, you can’t then turn around and say, ‘Oh no, I wasn’t thinking of the Nazis.’ What else did you have in mind? The architectural innovations of the Bauhaus?”
The use of Hitler comparisons has become increasingly common in political rhetoric, leading to concerns about the trivialisation of the Holocaust and the genuine threat posed by historical fascism. Godwin’s Law, which states that online discussions inevitably lead to Nazi comparisons, appears to have extended well beyond internet forums into mainstream political debate.
As the political temperature continues to rise, Mr McDonnell’s comments serve as a stark reminder of the deep divisions emerging in British politics over immigration, national identity, and the future direction of the country.
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