Claire Mackie-Brown, a member of the Reform Party on Falkirk City Council, has faced strong criticism for sharing a protest platform with a neo-Nazi. The right-wing politician appeared alongside far-right activist Richard McFarlane during an anti-immigration rally in Falkirk, where MacFarlane claimed that white people would become a minority in the UK by 2026.
Critics have warned about the dangerous links between the Reform Party and the far-right Patriotic Alternative Party. Mackie Brown was a member of the Conservative Party until March 2025, when she left the party and announced her joining the Reform Party.
The Reform Party has been involved in organizing and participating in the recent anti-immigration protests taking place across the UK. The Patriotic Alternative Party has also joined these demonstrations. The group, which is neo-Nazi in nature, was founded in 2019 by far-right politician Mark Collett. The Patriotic Alternative promotes the so-called “white genocide” narrative, which alleges a conspiracy to eliminate the native white population of Britain.
The UK Patriotic Alternative takes a racist stance toward immigrants. During a protest a few days ago outside the Cladhan Hotel, McFarlane said: “We need to point the finger at them and tell them that we are white, we are British, we are proud, and we are no longer afraid.”
The Reform Party denied that Claire Brown was responsible for the remarks made by the Patriotic Alternative representative. The party stated: “Councillor Claire Brown was there to represent Reform UK and her concerned constituents. She is not responsible for others who attended and will continue to defend local residents on this very important issue.”
The UK is witnessing numerous far-right anti-immigration protests, most of which are concentrated in front of hotels housing asylum seekers and migrants. It is also witnessing numerous counter-movements against racism and hate speech against migrants.
Amid the ongoing crisis over hotels being used to accommodate refugees, Essex County Council asked the court to rule that the Bell Hotel in Epping, which houses migrants, does not constitute a permitted development under planning law. The court ordered a temporary halt to the admission of new arrivals, while local authorities in Norfolk are also seeking to stop the use of a hotel for housing refugees.
