Nigel Farage has made waves once again, as his Reform Party surges ahead in the social media battle, boasting a commanding lead across multiple platforms. Farage, speaking to Breitbart, highlighted the work ethic and increasingly right-wing views of the youngest voters in the United Kingdom. In just three weeks since reclaiming control of the party he founded, support has dramatically increased.
Farage told Breitbart, “It’s happening. Gen-Z is very different. Very different to Millennials. I see a lot more ambition, I see a lot more rejection of what they’re being indoctrinated with at school and university… I think the most remarkable part of our campaign in the weeks since I came back to do this, we’ve gone from three per cent in the 18-24 vote to between 15-21 [per cent] depending on which pollster you look at. Either way it’s a very rapid advance.” This rise signals a notable shift in political sentiment among young voters, who are gravitating towards conservative ideals.
Farage also observed a resurgence of 1980s values among today’s youth. “I see a lot of 1980s thinking in a growing number of young people. They’re quite ambitious, they want to get houses, they want to get well-paid jobs. They turn up at events I do, they’re all quite well turned out. It’s quite interesting, whereas the Millennials talk about work-life balance and things like that. There’s a big generational shift.” This marks a stark contrast to the more relaxed attitudes of Millennials, with Gen-Z showing a stronger desire to succeed and achieve traditional goals.
Reform Party insiders attribute much of their progress with young voters to their impressive social media strategy. Sky News reported that while Labour has heavily invested in social media advertising, spending £1.7 million ($2.1 million) with limited success, Farage’s Reform Party has achieved remarkable engagement with a modest £26,000 ($32,000) investment. The result? Over one and a half million interactions on Facebook, significantly outpacing Labour’s half a million.
Further analysis by British media reveals that Farage dominates not only Facebook but also TikTok. Despite Labour’s frequent postings, Farage’s content consistently outperforms, with each video garnering 30% more engagement than Labour’s. This success on TikTok underscores Farage’s appeal to Gen-Z, who are increasingly drawn to his message and rejecting the leftist ideologies they were taught in schools and universities.
This trend is not isolated to the UK. Across Europe and even in the United States, young voters are shifting to the right. In Germany, the Green party, once the favorite of young voters, has seen a dramatic decline, losing 23 points among 16-to-24-year-olds. The top two parties for young German voters are now right-wing. Similarly, in the United States, Gen-Z is turning out for Donald Trump in increasing numbers, with Trump now neck-and-neck with Biden among young voters, a significant shift from previous elections. This generational shift indicates a growing rejection of leftist indoctrination and a move towards conservative values, echoing Farage’s success in the UK.
