Jack Anderton, a social media adviser who boosted Nigel Farage’s and Reform UK’s online presence, has suggested that Britain would have been better off staying neutral in the Second World War rather than fighting Nazi Germany. In a personal blog post, Anderton argued that fighting in both world wars impoverished the UK, caused it to lose its empire, and left it dependent on the United States.
Anderton, 23, ran Farage’s TikTok account, helping him gain 1.3 million followers, and later worked on Luke Campbell’s successful campaign to become Reform mayor of Hull and East Yorkshire. Although never employed by Reform, he remains a close associate of Campbell. His blog, titled Britain Needs Change, contains posts advocating a self-interested foreign policy, suggesting the UK could “regain” former colonies such as Australia, Canada, and South Africa in a future “meritocracy”.
Anderton also opposes UK support for Ukraine, writing: “Russia is not our enemy, they have not attacked Britain.” He calls for all Foreign Office decisions to be based solely on British benefit, not humanitarian or democratic ideals. Additionally, he endorses the mass incarceration policies of El Salvador’s President Nayib Bukele, which have put 2% of the country’s population in prison, describing them as a model for Britain.
In his blog, Anderton wrote that the only conflict in the last century in the UK’s interest was the Falklands war. He claimed that “trillions of pounds” and over a million British lives have been wasted in foreign wars. His comments have drawn criticism for their apparent endorsement of authoritarian policies and dismissal of the UK’s role in defeating Nazism.
Campbell’s office referred inquiries to Reform UK, which stated that Anderton is not employed by the party or the mayor. Anderton did not respond to requests for comment.
