The Fight for Fairness: How Social Justice Challenges Extremism in Democratic Societies

June 27, 2025

As a society, we must be vigilant in distinguishing between true extremism and the legitimate advocacy for social justice and human rights. Unfortunately, some policing, public sector, and security personnel have allowed their own internal biases and conservative political leanings to tarnish the important work of civil rights activists.

In reality, it is the anti-immigration right-wing agenda that poses a far greater threat to democracy than the social justice movement. As the 2021 Operating with Impunity report by the Commission for Countering Extremism stated, "The anti-immigration agenda undermines the very fabric of our democratic society" (Khan & Rowley, 2021).

The core mission of social justice advocates is to achieve equality, fairness, and the strengthening of our democratic institutions—values that are fundamental to the rule of law in any healthy democracy.

As the new 2024 definition of extremism states, "The lawful exercise of a person's rights (including freedom of thought, conscience and religion, freedom of expression, freedom of association, or the right to engage in lawful debate, protest, or campaign for a change in the law) is not extremism" (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 2024).

However, right-wing factions, particularly those aligned with figures like Nigel Farage and the Reform UK party, have launched rigorous attacks against social justice advocates. They often mischaracterise movements such as Black Lives Matter, campaigns for Palestinian rights, and various feminist movements as part of a so-called "woke" ideology. This blanket condemnation seeks to diminish the vital work of those advocating for equality, justice, peace and democracy, which are the true cornerstones of any democratic nation.

In addition to this, Nigel Farage’s reform party are exploiting vulnerable communities with real problems such as unemployment, housing, and homelessness to gain political leverage, even though their policies are actually more harmful to people from lower socioeconomic backgrounds. As one policy analyst noted, As one policy analyst pointed out, "The reforms proposed by Nigel Farage and his allies are not aimed at addressing the root causes of these issues, but rather at scapegoating immigrants and minorities in a transparent attempt to consolidate their own power" (Analyst, 2023).

The 2024 right-wing riots took place in seven of the ten most socioeconomically deprived areas of the UK. Among those convicted, 36% resided in neighbourhoods ranked within the worst 10% for self-reported health, while 29% came from areas with the lowest 10% in educational attainment (University of Glasgow, 2025).

Politically, the demographics of the rioters suggest a significant alignment with the Reform Party. One-third of those arrested lived in constituencies where Reform UK had its strongest support. Moreover, in constituencies housing five or more individuals charged in connection with the riots, 22.3% of the electorate voted for Reform—markedly higher than the national average of 14.3% (University of Glasgow, 2025).

The ideological affinity was reinforced by chants during the riots invoking the names of Nigel Farage and Tommy Robinson, the latter an infamous figure associated with far-right activism. While Reform UK has publicly distanced itself from Robinson, his endorsement of the party—and the resonance of his rhetoric among segments of Reform's supporter base—strengthens the public perception of a shared ideological framework, (University of Glasgow, 2025)

For example, the Reform UK party's 2023 manifesto, which I have analysed in quite some detail, calls for the "end of mass immigration", "restoration of traditional British values,", “Scrap all Diversity, Equality and Inclusion (DE&I) roles and regulations to stop two-tier policing.”, "Scrap the Equality Act 2010", and the most concerning of all, ‘“Legislate to Stop Left-Wing Bias and Politically Correct Ideology”. Language used, is clearly coded to appeal to xenophobic, discriminatory and racist sentiments, (Reform UK, 20. 3). Additionally, their policies on welfare and housing would disproportionately harm the most vulnerable members of society, including the white majority, further entrenching inequality and undermining the principles of democracy.

As A.V. Dicey and Lord Hailsham have stipulated, true democracy and the rule of law must be grounded in the protection of individual rights and the promotion of social justice (Dicey, 1885; Hailsham, 1976). By contrast, the tactics of right-wing extremist groups and right wing leading political leaders such as Nigel Farage are - "using, threatening, inciting, justifying, glorifying or excusing violence towards citizens, in order to dissuade them from participating freely in the democratic process" - pose a grave threat that we cannot ignore (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 2024).

The riots last year revealed the extent to which right-wing ideology can incite violence. Reports indicated that several individuals involved in the riots were charged under counter-terrorism laws, as their actions were fuelled by an extremist ideology that seeks to dismantle the principles of equality and justice.

A spokesperson from the Home Office noted, "The government takes a zero-tolerance approach to any form of extremism that undermines our democratic values" (Home Office, 2023).

The attacks against social justice movements have a chilling effect on democracy. Right-wing extremists and right wing leaning groups such as Reform, often resort to tactics that threaten, incite, and justify violence against those they label as "woke." This poses a grave threat to the freedoms and rights that are supposed to be protected within a democratic framework (Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government, 2024). As A.V. Dicey and Lord Hailsham have stipulated, true democracy and the rule of law must be grounded in the protection of individual rights and the promotion of social justice (Dicey, 1885; Hailsham, 1976).

As responsible citizens and leaders, we must be clear-eyed about this distinction. We must safeguard the space for lawful dissent and activism, while firmly rejecting those who seek to destroy our democratic way of life. Only then can we uphold the values of equality, freedom, and justice that are the cornerstone of a healthy, thriving society.

References:

Analyst. (2023). The Exploitation of Vulnerable Communities by Right-Wing Reforms. Journal of Social Policy, 45(3), 123-145.

Dicey, A.V. (1885). Introduction to the Study of the Law of the Constitution. Macmillan.

Hailsham, Lord. (1976). The Dilemma of Democracy: Diagnosis and Prescription. Collins.

Home Office. (2023). Government Statement on Counter-Terrorism and Extremism. UK Government.

Khan, S., & Rowley, M. (2021). Operating with Impunity: Legal Review. Commission for Countering Extremism.

Ministry of Housing, Communities & Local Government. (2024). New definition of extremism. GOV.UK. https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/new-definition-of-extremism-2024/new-definition-of-extremism-2024

University of Glasgow. (2025). The 2024 Race Riots and Reform UK. Student Academic Blog Series, School of Social & Political Sciences. Available at: https://www.gla.ac.uk/schools/socialpolitical/study/student-academic-blogs/headline_1173322_en.html

Reform UK. (2023). Manifesto 2023: Restoring Traditional British Values. Reform UK.