In a significant escalation of tensions between Reform UK and the National Education Union (NEU), party leader Nigel Farage has vowed to “go to war against the teachers’ unions” following the NEU’s classification of the party as “far-Right and racist.” This declaration comes in response to a motion submitted by the NEU that is set to be debated at its upcoming annual conference in Harrogate, scheduled for next month.

The NEU intends to address what it describes as the dangers of voting for Reform UK. The motion, disclosed in a report from the Mail on Sunday, accuses the party of scapegoating vulnerable communities, including refugees, asylum seekers, Muslims, and Jews. It cites that Reform secured four million votes in the 2024 elections on an ‘anti-immigrant platform’ and calls for teachers to “educate and challenge” students who may be inclined towards “racist beliefs and far-Right activity.”

Daniel Kebede, the leader of the NEU, has previously described the UK as a “brutally racist state” and has critiqued the education system as “institutionally racist,” further labelling the national curriculum as embodying a “Little England, white saviour narrative.” Concerns have been voiced regarding the NEU’s potential breach of teachers’ obligation to maintain political neutrality. Professor Alan Smithers, director of the Centre for Education and Employment Research at Buckingham University, commented that it is “deeply disturbing” for a teachers’ union to intertwine political discussions with racism, especially as current government discussions advance towards lowering the voting age to 16.

In defence of the NEU’s stance, a spokesperson stated, “It is vital we take on racist behaviour and language, in schools and in wider society. The NEU makes no apologies for holding that view.” Meanwhile, Farage’s calls for a campaign against the unions were echoing sentiments shared by other Reform MPs, including Lee Anderson, who accused the NEU of “indoctrinating our youth, silencing free speech and spreading hateful rhetoric.”

The political backdrop to this controversy includes Reform’s rising popularity among younger voters. An exclusive poll indicated that 30 per cent of 16- and 17-year-olds expressed an intention to vote for Reform if the voting age were adjusted, a statistic that underlines the party’s increasing appeal to this demographic.

Additionally, the NEU conference is expected to address other educational issues, including proposals to return all schools to local authority control and critiques of the government’s approach to academy freedoms. The Labour Party has also been accused of yielding to union pressures in connection with its recently discussed Children’s Wellbeing and Schools Bill, which has garnered criticism from opposition MPs who have described the proposed reforms as a “wrecking ball.”

In related developments, Farage has experienced internal strife within Reform UK, particularly following a public dispute with suspended Reform MP Rupert Lowe. This altercation arose after Lowe’s comments, made in a Daily Mail interview, in which he critiqued the party’s leadership. Lowe has been removed from the party just days after these remarks and is currently facing allegations of bullying and verbal abuse, which he denies, claiming that he has been unfairly targeted for challenging Farage’s leadership.

The unfolding events within Reform UK, alongside the contention with the NEU, underscore a turbulent period for both the political party and the education sector in the UK, as discussions on educational integrity, political neutrality, and the influence of union dynamics continue to develop.

Source: Noah Wire Services