Dr Matt Goodwin, once an academic studying far-right extremism, has been selected as the Reform UK candidate for the Gorton and Denton by-election, returning to the Tameside borough where he previously researched the British National Party (BNP). In 2011, Goodwin co-authored a report for Tameside Council identifying areas most at risk of far-right extremism, warning that white neighbourhoods near high-immigration areas were vulnerable to extremist exploitation.
Goodwin’s academic career began with a pioneering PhD on the BNP, which involved deep engagement with activists. Colleagues recall him as ambitious and attention-seeking, with a nickname “Two Jacks” after revealing his poker hand in a casino. His work earned him contacts within the Conservative Party, assisting figures like Lord James Bethell and Tim Montgomerie on anti-BNP campaigns.
However, Goodwin’s recent rhetoric has shifted sharply rightwards. On his Substack, he wrote that Europe faces “civilisational erasure” due to immigration, and in a podcast he warned that white Britons would become a minority by 2063, arguing that more diverse societies are less trusting. Political opponents now label him an extremist, contrasting his past role as an expert on far-right threats.
A Reform source defended Goodwin, saying he highlights the consequences of “mass uncontrolled immigration which nobody voted for.” They dismissed criticism from a former BNP figure who suggested Goodwin had developed empathy for nationalist aims, calling it irrelevant.
Goodwin’s transformation from centre-right academic to ethno-nationalist advocate has surprised former colleagues. One described him as “great fun” but noted his love of attention. The by-election in Gorton and Denton will test whether his new political identity resonates with voters in the same area he once studied for far-right activity.
