How division is created through the politics of memory. A narrative analysis of Nigel Farage and Reform UK

Abstract

Reform UK are currently the most popular party in the UK. They have risen up the polls largely by presenting themselves as a radical alternative, the true voice of the people, and a populist party that can change things for the better. This thesis will show that these ideals are thinly veiled by an ethnonationalist ideal, and the intentional comments made by the party create a narrative that provides victimhood for the ingroup (white Britons) whilst consistently demonising the outgroup (largely immigrants). Nigel Farage, the leader of reform, and other major figures in the party, generally place these narratives after comments about equality, and non-discrimination, in an attempt to be seen as more pleasing to the general public, but an analysis of these things in totality, through the politics of memory, highlight the real narrative, one of divisiveness, and attacks purely on the outgroup. This thesis will be split into two sections, comments made in Parliament, and comments made outside of Parliament. Every comment made by Nigel Farage (the leader of Reform) since his election as an MP for Clacton in 2024 will be analysed through the lens of memory politics, highlighting consistent attacks on the outgroup through narrativity, using colonial aphasia, prosthetic memory, and nostalgic nationalism (as well as touching on other concepts briefly, but only to make a larger point). The second section is more broad, and looks at the most well-known speeches and comments made outside of Parliament, as well as Reform’s manifesto for the 2024 General Election. This section will highlight that all of these comments, and the manifesto itself, are framed in a way to insight division, create a narrative that the ingroup is being constantly attacked, and that this is the fault of the outgroup, also being done through narrativity linked to colonial aphasia, prosthetic memory, and nostalgic nationalism.