A Labour minister has compared Reform UK to a far-right German party which has just secured its biggest election victory.
The Alternative for Germany (AfD) is set to become by far the largest party in the German region of Saxony-Anhalt.
They will become the first far-right party to gain power in Germany at a state level since the Nazi era of World War 2.
The AfD has seen a surge in popularity thanks to its anti-immigration and anti-woke policies.
As well as being pro-Kremlin and wanting to see an end to international sanctions against Russia, the party also wants to see the German school curriculum overhauled to become more nationalistic.
Asked on Times Radio if the UK government would be willing to work with the AfD, Treasury minister Emma Reynolds said: “We will not be reaching out to a right-wing populist party.”
She added: “It reminds us that we’re not the only country where we have far-right populists like Reform. France has the same sort of problem too.”
Asked if she put the AfD “in the same bracket” as Reform UK, Reynolds said: “Yes.”
When McCann pointed out that the AfD’s policies were “quite a lot more extreme than what Reform is advocating for”, the minister replied: “I think they are both parties that try and feed on the grievances of people and don’t come up with solutions.
“And yes, I see them in the same political bracket. And it reminds us that as a government, we have the responsibility to drive change and to convince people that we can change the country for the better and that they don’t need to resort to voting for far-right politicians to express themselves.”
HuffPost UK has contacted Reform UK for comment.
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