Who are the Far Right?

The far right in the UK has evolved over the past century, often emerging in reaction to immigration, economic crises, and cultural change.

Whilst the far right have never achieved lasting mainstream support, support for the far right has concerningly grown significantly over recent years and far-right movements have influenced politics and public attitudes.

The far right is a diverse range of groups and organisations that exist in person and online. Groups can range from political parties, who try to appeal to “ordinary” people who may feel that their concerns and issues are not being addressed by mainstream political parties, to more extreme far right groups who engage in violence or terrorism.

Importantly, whether far right groups are violent or non-violent, parliamentary or non-parliamentary, their narratives, propaganda and actions spread misinformation, incite fear and encourage violence and hatred amongst their followers.

Far right groups build narratives of discrimination, racism, antisemitism, inequality, homophobia, transphobia and misogyny. They often oppose progressive social movements such as feminism, LGBTQ+ rights and anti-racist activism, and blame cultural change or demographic shifts for societal decline.

The current focus of the far right is primarily building opposition to asylum seekers and refugees who they blame for scarce resources and what they see as the decline of the UK. Much of this narrative is driven by racism and Islamophobia.

In short, the far right offers a vision of Britain that looks backwards to a time when society was supposedly simpler, more united, and less diverse.

The far right, thrives on division. It promotes exclusion based on identity, blaming migrants, minorities, or social progress for economic and cultural problems. Far right values are fundamentally at odds with the values of the MU.

The MU and the wider trade union movement are built on solidarity, the belief that workers are stronger together than apart. Whoever you are, wherever you work, and no matter what music you make, the MU is behind every musician.