Nigel Farage has been accused of a U-turn after stating that Britain should not get involved in Donald Trump's war with Iran, contradicting his earlier call for the 'gloves to come off'. The Reform UK leader's latest comments have exposed deep divisions within the party over foreign policy and the UK's role in the conflict.
Anna Turley, chair of the Labour Party, criticised Reform UK, saying: 'Reform wanted the UK to go to war in Iran and are now trying to cover up the consequences for British families, including higher fuel prices.' A YouGov poll indicated that Reform's 2024 voters are split, with 24% wanting active UK involvement in attacks on Iran and 63% supporting a retaliatory or defensive stance.
Farage's shift came after he initially expressed support for 'regime change' in Iran and urged backing for the US-led operation. However, on Tuesday he said: 'If we can't even defend Cyprus, let's not get ourselves involved in another foreign war.' This contrasts with his earlier statement at a Westminster press conference that 'we should do all we can to support the operation.'
Other senior Reform figures have taken divergent positions. Deputy leader Richard Tice has adopted a gung-ho stance, advocating helping the US and Israel 'in any way they saw appropriate'. In contrast, Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick has laid out a 'hands off' position, warning that prolonged conflict would hurt British consumers. Meanwhile, Greater Lincolnshire Mayor Andrea Jenkyns suggested she could support British troops on the ground, saying 'you can't rule anything out.'
The conflict has highlighted fault lines over whether the UK should adopt a more isolationist 'Britain First' position, echoing splits in Donald Trump's conservative base. Former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, now a Reform member, has called for Britain to support US and Israeli bombing of Iran and make bases available for offensive operations.
