On November 4th, 2025, Cardiff University Feminist Society, in collaboration with South Wales Women Against the Far Right, ran an event. An event that had over 70 attendees from different backgrounds, four passionate speakers from different realms of activism and one shared goal: to fight the far right. The event spoke about how in recent years Reform UK, whilst claiming to be the party of the British people, have created a party that fuels division, normalises prejudice, and erodes trust in democratic institutions.
In the current social and political landscape it is more important than ever that public discourse reflects empathy and evidence, not fear and falsehoods. South Wales Women Against the Far Right said that the aim of the recent event at Cardiff University was to have a “discussion surrounding how to tackle misinformation and ways to combat Reform UK in our communities” and share with CU Feminist Society how to stay safe around campus. The event was put on by Iona Hamilton, President of Feminist Society, at Cardiff University and Suwaba Hussein, from South Wales Women Against the Far Right.
The pair shared the sentiment that “we must show love where the far right look to hate, and we must show unity where the far right show division”. First speaker at the event was Deity Evans, a trans rights activist who helped to organise the largest Welsh protest for trans rights with over 3,000 people in attendance. She shared that “one identity cannot be more important than others” and the creation of “trans exclusion” is becoming more prominent with the rise from the far right.
Statistics show that in Wales half of trans people have experienced a hate crime due to their gender in the last 12 months, and 82% of trans people in Wales have experienced a hate crime they did not report. This hate is only spiralling with the rise of the far right, with those higher up “pulling the strings in the situation to build transphobic rhetorics as a weapon of division”. “The ideas from the far right that white women and girls need protecting is rooted in the idea that women are less than in some way that is then used to rationalise racism, islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia and anti-asylum rhetoric”. Deity shared that she believes these issues cannot be seen as separate; they must be fought together to fight against far-right ideology.
Kavi Susee, anti-racism officer at Cardiff Students’ Union attended the event as a member of a panel who shared her views on what students can do to fight far-right ideology. In her role at Cardiff Students’ Union, she fights for the idea that it “has never been enough just to not be racist, but that we must be actively antiracist”. She uses her platform to fight against those who “continue to be silent” which she argues mirrors the far right.
Those in charge reap financial rewards whilst they twist narratives to blame immigrants instead of those in power who can actually make change. This attitude is rooted in the far right’s (informal) manifesto, and Kavi encourages students to be loud and never scared to speak out and get involved in activism. Co-host of the event Suwaba Hussein, shared how we as students can fight against the overwhelming rise of Reform in all our communities, especially with a recent “shocking escalation of violence”.
The ideas from the far right that white women and girls need protecting is rooted in the idea that women are less than in some way that is then used to rationalise racism, islamophobia, homophobia, transphobia and anti-asylum rhetoric
This view was shared by final speaker Kate Pierce, a proud anti-racism unionist. With recent protests from Tommy Robinson, we can see how Reform is growing at unprecedented speeds. The far right claim to be looking out for women and girls, but Suwaba said “they only mean when the victim is white and the perpetrator is black or brown”.
Kate argued that the far right are using women to change narratives “as a weapon for racism”. This deeply racist rhetoric of asylum seekers being violent demonstrates the true undertones of Reform UK. Suwaba shared the statistic that in the UK one woman is killed every week, but this is by someone they know, often an intimate partner.
Further, asylum seekers get as little as £9.95 per week, costing the UK less per year than tax evasion, according to recent statistics. Finally, to end the event panel, Pierce shared to those in attendance that “I, for one, do not need to be protected, and I definitely do not need to be protected by the far right.” She argues the far right feeds on isolation: “They tell people ‘No one cares, nothing can change, so blame the powerless.’ But we know better.” Among the rest of the panel, Pierce stands for compassion and solidarity where we as a community need to make sure Wales uses “classrooms, workplaces, and all of our voices to spread a different message: one of courage, compassion, and connection. Not one of hate”.
The panel made sure the event was a reminder to everyone who attended to say “not in my community”.