Farage on TikTok: the perfect populist platform

Wahl-Jorgensen, Karin ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8461-5795 2024. Farage on TikTok: the perfect populist platform. Jackson, D, Parry, K, Harmer, E, Lilleker, D, Firmstone, J, Wright, S and Thorsen, E, eds. UK Election analysis 2024: Media, voters and the campaign, The Election Analysis series, Bournemouth: Centre for Comparative Politics & Media Research, Bournemouth University., pp. 106-107. Item availability restricted.

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Abstract

In an election campaign widely described as “boring,” the return of Nigel Farage provided a dramatic highlight. Farage ran a high-profile campaign, ultimately winning aseat in Clacton as one of five Reform MPs. While mainstream media have devoted significant attention to Farage, he also garnered a significant following on TikTok, with his account outperforming all other candidate and party accounts. This is important because the platform is seen as a vital means for reaching younger audiences. I have analysed all 52 videos posted by Nigel Farage’s TikTok account since the election was called on May 23, and until polls closed on July 4, to understand how he crafted his appeal. While Farage initially campaigned for Reform more broadly, he announced his candidacy for Clacton on June 3. So, what do we learn about Farage’s political agenda from his TikToks? In some ways, not much. As connoisseurs of the platform will know, TikToks are usually short and light on content. Most of Farage’s videos are less than a minute long, and many last just a few seconds. However, the analysis offers several insights. It shows that over the course of the campaign, Farage used the platform to construct a political persona fit for the social media age and, specifically, for an appeal allegedly targeted at young men. First, Farage is a man of action, and specifically, one who is on the move. While he does not quite match up to the antics of Ed Davie, he does deploy a bewildering array of modes of transportation. Yes, he travels by limo and train. But also: Helicopter! Armoured vehicle! Boat! Another boat! Oh, and a combine harvester! Occasionally, he is on foot, striding confidently through a shopping centre, exclaiming "lovely melons!" and getting drenched in rain on a Normandy pier. Second, Farage is a fan of manly pursuits. Several videos see him drinking pints of beer in the pub, where he often (three times) watches England football games in the company of men. He goes to a boxing gym and a betting shop, he enjoys a sneaky trip to a shooting range, and shares that he has been voted “sexiest politician in Britain” – though he also has his nails done for good measure. Third, Farage is down with the kids. He’s mobbed by Sunraze, an up-and-coming band, he sings along to Eminem (who, while popular with target audiences, could be their grandfather) and urges his viewers to “have fun” (which involves drinking and singing, apparently) while watching the Euros. However, for anyone looking for Farage’s key message, it is not difficult to find. He has just one thing on his mind: Migration. Taking a leaf out of the right-wing populist playbook, Farage is centrally focused on creating “Us” and “Them” binary distinctions premised on xenophobia and nativism. If anything, Farage’s success is enabled by the affordances of Tiktok, which work a treat for the simple messages of right-wing populists. If the future belongs to platforms like TikTok, political actors must adapt to their logic of simplicity. This, however, does not bode well for democracy, suggesting the erasure of substance in favour of style. Just as many observers will worry about the implications of Reform’s electoral success, we must not underestimate the consequences of social media affordances for the future of political deliberation.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Published Online
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Journalism, Media and Culture
Subjects:	H Social Sciences > H Social Sciences (General) J Political Science > JA Political science (General) J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) J Political Science > JN Political institutions (Europe) > JN101 Great Britain
Publisher:	Centre for Comparative Politics & Media Research, Bournemouth University.
ISBN:	978-1-910042-36-6
Date of First Compliant Deposit:	29 July 2025
Last Modified:	31 Jul 2025 12:45
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/180121

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