Reform UK splits over masked anti-migrant protests in Dover and Portsmouth

A protest response becomes a party dispute

Reform UK is facing an unusually public internal dispute over masked anti-migrant demonstrations in Dover and Portsmouth. Nigel Farage condemned the Dover blockade and described the participants' appearance and conduct as unacceptable. In the following days, however, several Reform councillors and activists defended the demonstrators as patriots, while senior figures tried to distinguish support for tighter border policy from approval of face coverings, intimidation or disruption.

The dispute sharpened after Daniel Thomas, a leader of the far-right Patriot Platform, confronted Reform's home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf during a visit to Portsmouth. Yusuf accepted Thomas's account that aspects of the protest had been misreported and later challenged criticism of the group. Other prominent Reform figures, including Richard Tice and Robert Jenrick, criticised masks while expressing sympathy with the demonstrators' stated concerns about migration.

Official account confirms disruption but no Dover arrests

A Home Office statement to Parliament provides an institutional account of the Dover episode. It said roughly 150 people, many wearing face coverings, arrived without notice at the port on September 5. Kent Police deployed quickly, no arrests were made and access was restored after the crowd dispersed several hours later. The government said residents, workers, motorists and ferry passengers experienced disruption and that peaceful protest must not cross into intimidation or illegality.

The political problem for Reform extends beyond crowd management. A co-founder of the separate Raise the Colours campaign had received a prominent platform at the party conference shortly before being charged with 14 offences, including racially aggravated harassment. He denies any association with Patriot Platform, although the Guardian reported that he had worked with Thomas. Some Reform councillors subsequently endorsed proposals for cooperation between flag campaigns and Reform-led councils.

The row matters because Farage is attempting to expand Reform's electorate while facing competition from groups and parties further to his right. Condemning masked tactics may reassure voters concerned about public order, but it risks alienating activists who interpret the demonstrations as legitimate border protests. The next evidence to watch is whether Reform issues binding guidance to councillors, proceeds with any council partnerships, or disciplines members whose statements conflict with the leadership's public position.