Labour Party leader Keir Starmer is currently in the race to become the UK Prime Minister after the July 4 elections. While PM Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party faces an uphill battle to retain power, the return of Nigel Farage to front-line politics has added to their woes. The pro-Brexit campaigner, who leads the right-wing Reform UK, has been boosted by a strong presence on TikTok.
The 60-year-old leader has become an unexpected star on the app, with a five-second clip of him lip-syncing to Eminem’s “Guess Who’s Back?” garnering more than eight million views.
Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party) leader Nigel Farage takes a dig at British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak with Eminem’s “Without Me.” pic.twitter.com/Ym3uX0G2Vu
— The Eminem Bible (@Shadyind) June 15, 2024
Mr Farage’s TikTok account has twice as many followers as Labour, the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats combined. Reform UK’s TikTok presence stands out among political parties. With 197,000 followers, they are far ahead of their nearest rival, the Green Party.
Until recently the Tories, Labour and Lib Dems did not even have official channels on the app, with parody accounts being the first to come up when users searched for the big three parties. By establishing their presence on TikTok, Mr Farage and Reform UK have attracted a younger demographic, setting them apart from other political parties.
The Conservative Party’s best clip, “This will change lives,” which features British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promoting his national service policy, was viewed 4.2 million times. However, the Labour Party’s 11-second response, a clever takedown using Cilla Black’s “Surprise, Surprise,” came in ahead with 5.1 million views.
???? NEW: Rishi Sunak has posted his first TikTok video pic.twitter.com/P0cAg0c8PW
— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) May 26, 2024
Nigel Farage’s success on TikTok has come thanks to 23-year-old Jack Anderton, who describes himself as a “concerned citizen” and right-wing zoomer. “Zoomer” refers to a member of Generation Z, specifically anyone born between 1997 and 2012.
According to Politico, Mr Anderton, Farage’s contractor, has played a key role in creating content that appeals to young voters. His views align with those of Farage, and he has expressed concern about immigration and Britain’s future. Mr Anderton represents the growing phenomenon of the “Zoomer Right,” a Gen Z conservative movement that is becoming popular across Europe. Polling shows that a larger proportion of 18-24 year olds plan to vote for Reform UK than 25-29 year olds.
The emergence of Reform UK on TikTok has surprised even party insiders. Reform press officer Matt Stevens says their views were initially modest, but as the party spread across the country, their views on TikTok “moved far beyond any other platform.”
This surge in TikTok’s popularity has been a pleasant surprise, as TikTok’s audience is predominantly young. Mr Stevens believes this age group is “demanding change” after years of Conservative rule, making them a prime audience for Reform’s message.