Rowan Williams accuses Farage of weaponising Christian identity
Former Archbishop of Canterbury claims Reform UK leader uses faith as political ballast to channel hostility towards Muslims.
Dr Rowan Williams, the former Archbishop of Canterbury, has accused Reform UK leader Nigel Farage of misusing the United Kingdom’s Christian heritage to channel anti-Muslim sentiment. In an interview with New Humanist magazine, Williams described the assertion that the UK is a Christian society as a form of political ballast used to justify hostility.
Williams stated that he suspects Farage and others are leveraging religious identity to stir division. He noted that while the St George’s Cross retains a Christian aspect in the English imagination, the current political climate is driven by anxiety about migration and anti-Islamism. The former Archbishop argued that the globalising of political discourse has led nationalist movements to adopt theological strategies to appear more credible on the international stage.
Regarding Farage’s specific motivations, Williams suggested that the Reform UK leader’s adoption of a theological strategy is an attempt to be taken seriously outside of England. He observed that Farage is frequently absent from the domestic political scene and that the appointment of theologian James Orr as a senior adviser does not indicate a genuine interest in profound theological questions. Williams expressed doubt that Farage cares deeply about such matters, despite the high-profile nature of the appointment.
The former Archbishop also directed his criticism towards far-right activist Tommy Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon. Robinson has claimed to be a Christian, citing Bible studies undertaken in jail and his leadership of a carol concert in December. Participants in his Unite the Kingdom march earlier this year carried wooden crosses and chanted Christ is king.
Williams expressed scepticism regarding the sincerity of Robinson’s claimed conversion. He stated that while he would be glad if Robinson were leading a life of Christian discipleship, he would ask awkward questions about how such a life squares with public rhetoric designed to produce hostility and violence. Williams emphasised that there is an inevitable scepticism towards some claims of religious conviction in the current political environment.
The comments come amid a series of statements by Farage regarding religious identity and migration. In 2024, Farage suggested that a growing number of young people who loathe British values were referring to Muslims. Earlier this year, he criticised an iftar event in Trafalgar Square, describing it as an attempt to overtake, intimidate and dominate the way of life in the UK.
