Are Reform UK and Its Supporters Racist? What Britons — and Keir Starmer — Really Think




The debate over Reform UK’s stance on immigration has reignited questions about racism in British politics. A new YouGov survey (29–30 September 2025), conducted for ITV’s Peston, provides fresh insight into how Britons see the party, its policies, and its voters — and how these views compare with what people think Prime Minister Keir Starmer believes.

1. What Britons Think

When asked directly about Reform UK:

  • The party overall: 47% say “generally racist,” 36% “not racist,” with around 17% unsure.

  • Its policies: 46% say “racist,” 35% “not,” 19% don’t know.

  • Its voters: 43% say “racist,” 35% “not,” 22% don’t know.

👉 In all three cases, more people say “racist” than say “not racist,” but the country is still quite divided.

2. What People Think Starmer Thinks

The survey also tested perceptions of the Prime Minister’s stance:

  • Party & policies: About 60–61% think he sees them as racist.

  • Voters: 49% think he sees them as racist.

👉 Britons believe Starmer is both firmer and more negative than the public itself.

3. What Starmer Actually Says

Starmer has been explicit:

  • On Reform UK’s party and policies: Yes, he calls them racist.

  • On Reform UK’s voters: No, he does not.

4. Side by Side

GroupParty/PoliciesVoters
Britons’ own viewMore say racist (46–47%) than notMore say racist (43%) than not
What people think Starmer thinksMajority think he says racist (60–61%)About half think he says racist (49%)
Starmer’s actual wordsSays some policies are racistSays voters are not racist

5. What This Shows

  • On policies: Starmer and the public are relatively aligned. Both lean toward seeing Reform UK’s policies as racist, though the public believes Starmer is even firmer than they are.

  • On voters: Here lies the major gap. Many Britons view Reform UK voters as racist, and many assume Starmer shares that view. But he insists he does not — drawing a line between criticising policies and condemning the people who support them.

  • Among Conservative and Reform voters: there is a clear eagerness to characterise themselves as not racist. That helps explain why Starmer’s stance matters politically: being seen as branding voters racist risks alienating them, even if he hasn’t actually said it.

✅ Bottom line: Starmer’s perceived position is harsher than his actual one. The public think he’s branding both Reform UK and its voters as racist. In reality, he reserves the charge for the party’s policies and leaders — not for ordinary voters. But because Conservative and Reform voters are keen to insist that they are not racist, even the perception that Starmer has labelled them that way risks being politically damaging

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