A recent survey has uncovered a significant shift in political allegiances within Britain’s Indian community, with backing for Nigel Farage’s Reform UK surging from 4% to 13% since the last general election—a threefold increase that outpaces national trends.
The research, conducted by the 1928 Institute—an Oxford-based academic group specializing in British Indian community analysis—surveyed over 2,000 voters and compared findings with previous election data and a similar study from five years ago. The results, published to mark Diwali, reveal a community in political flux.
While Reform UK’s support among British Indians remains considerably lower than the national average, the dramatic growth rate signals the party is making unexpected inroads into demographics that have historically resisted its appeal. “British Indian support for Reform is significantly lower than that of the general UK population. However, there is a strong upwards trend in support,” the report notes.
A Community in Transition
British Indians, comprising approximately 3% of the UK population, have emerged as crucial swing voters after decades of reliable Labour support. Their historical alliance with Labour stemmed from the party’s relatively welcoming stance toward immigration during the 1960s and 1970s, when many first-generation immigrants arrived in Britain.
However, these longstanding ties have begun unraveling as the community has become more established and economically secure. Researchers point to increasing social conservatism among Indian voters and rising Hindu nationalism as factors pushing segments of the community rightward on the political spectrum.
A 2021 Carnegie Endowment for International Peace analysis identified Labour’s support for Kashmiri independence under Jeremy Corbyn’s leadership as particularly alienating for British Indian voters.
Changing Political Landscape
The 1928 Institute’s findings reveal a broader realignment across the political spectrum. Labour’s support among British Indians has dropped from 48% at the last election to 35% currently, while Conservative backing has fallen even more precipitously—from 21% to 18%.
The Green Party has also benefited from this volatility, with support jumping from 8% to 13%, particularly among younger voters. Five years ago, Reform UK captured merely 0.4% of the British Indian vote.
Shifting Priorities
The study attributes these political shifts partly to evolving policy concerns within the community. While education consistently tops the list of priorities, the second-place concern has shifted from healthcare five years ago to economic issues today. Crime now ranks third, displacing environmental concerns, while equalities and human rights have fallen from fifth to seventh place.
Nikita Ved, co-author of the report, explained: “Reform UK’s rise is disrupting traditional voting patterns within the British Indian community. As economic and social frustrations deepen, both major parties may face growing pressure to engage more directly with a community whose political loyalties can no longer be taken for granted.”
Reform UK’s Mixed Messaging
Nigel Farage has articulated inconsistent positions on South Asian immigration. While he recently criticized the government’s trade agreement with India for facilitating easier worker migration from the subcontinent, he stated in 2015 that he preferred immigrants from India and Australia over those from Eastern Europe.
The findings suggest that Britain’s political parties can no longer rely on traditional voting patterns within the Indian community, as economic anxieties and changing social values reshape political allegiances across this influential demographic.
