State of Hate 2026: Rising Far-Right Extremism and the Fight for Britain’s Future
State of Hate 2026
The mission of Hope not Hate[1] is “to work tirelessly to expose and oppose far-right extremism”. Their work focuses on the organised far right, the communities who are susceptible to them and the issues and policies which give rise to them. They build skills and resilience across communities and civil society organisations, creating an alternative narrative of togetherness and unity. They “leverage the power of HOPE by creating a platform for ordinary people to do the extraordinary”. This includes supporting the wider sector to have greater impact in opposing hatred in all its forms through more effective collaboration and sharing of skills, promoting social cohesion and defending Britain’s multicultural and multiracial society.
Through our work, we defend, champion and promote democracy and the rule of law; speaking out against anti-democratic and authoritarian forces and policies.
HOPE not hate has its roots in the British antifascist movement – it began as the campaigning arm of Searchlight, a longstanding anti-fascist research operation. The organisation continues to be the first port of call for journalists, publishing reports especially the annual State of HATE report as the single, most authoritative analysis of the British far-right publicly available.
This year’s report, State of Hate 2026[2] is subtitled it could happen here. It carries a stark warning:
The far right is more extreme, bigger and bolder than ever before.
Reform UK’s rise, growing street protests, and increasingly hardline rhetoric are reshaping the political landscape, while public opinion is shifting and polarisation deepens.
The report defines the challenge and sets out the scale of the crisis, but it also makes clear that a path to far-right power is not inevitable. It encourages civic society to face up to the challenge by understanding the threat as the first step in stopping it.
We are reminded that the far-right landscape in the UK has undergone significant transformation since the 2024 general election, becoming larger, more confident and increasingly confrontational. At the centre of this shift is Reform UK, which achieved an unprecedented breakthrough in 2024. Since then, the party has expanded rapidly, establishing nearly 500 local branches and claiming a membership of more than 270,000. With increased funding, high-profile defections from the Conservative Party, and growing organisational capacity, Reform is now a major political force. The party is widely tipped to make large gains in the May 2026 elections. The party hopes that heavy losses for Labour and the Conservatives will further its ambitions to be seen as the next government-in-waiting.
The report provides information on all the key players, both frontline and back-office, in Reform and the wider far-right as well as data on how they are funded.
The anti-Muslim focus of the far right is clear and clearly stated throughout much of the far-right activity. The report refers to Elon Musk, especially his spiritual leader Gad Saad, a Canadian-based author and marketing professor at the John Molson School of Business at Concordia University. Born in Lebanon, Saad's book, Suicidal Empathy, claims that empathy in politics leads to civilizational collapse. The subtext of this is clear. Saad believes that the failure to confront Islam is leading to the destruction of the West. He sees no difference between Islamists and ordinary Muslims. For him, they are one and the same, as an existential threat to western civilisation.
Another illustration of the anti-Muslim focus is that three quarters of the people who support Tommy Robinson view Islam as a supremacist religion, 85% think that there are parts of the UK where Sharia law dominates and non-Muslims cannot go, and 92% think that the UK government priorities the rights and well-being of immigrants and asylum seekers over those of British-born citizens.
The report points out the concerning development in the last year of the increased prominence of the far right in the media. At the same time as far-right individuals and views have become normalised in British politics, they have gained enhanced acceptance among newspapers and broadcasters. GB News is one source, with its anti-migrant and anti-Muslim agenda.
The 152 page report is full of relevant data and is recommended for all anti-racist organisations and individuals.