Anti-establishment surge in UK election driven by pro-Palestine, anti-immigration sentiment

Independent and minor party candidates performed strongly in UK parliamentary elections Thursday amid a surge of anti-establishment political sentiment.

The trend was perhaps best exemplified by the strong performance of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK party on a pledge to reduce net migration to the United Kingdom. The populist party, originally formed to advocate a no-deal Brexit from the European Union, garnered almost 15% of the popular vote throughout the country and five seats in the House of Commons. In several constituencies Reform UK relegated the Conservative Party to third place.

Some observers have criticized the party as an electoral spoiler, splitting the right-of-center vote and enabling the Labour Party to more easily take power. Indeed, the combined vote share of Reform UK and the Tories surpassed that of the Labour Party, which became Westminster’s largest party in Thursday’s election.

Former US President Donald Trump congratulated Reform UK leader Nigel Farage Thursday on his entry into parliament from the Clacton electoral constituency.

“Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success,” Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform. “Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country!” Trump and Farage have remained strong political allies since Farage’s successful advocacy for the UK to vote to leave the European Union in 2016.

(A video from social media shows Nigel Farage blasting the "outdated" first-past-the-post voting system in the UK)

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