Politics
Is Britain's health establishment prepared for a populist government?
Key Points
The results of the 2026 local government elections in Great Britain, held in May, confirm the collapse of the old political order. Reform, a populist radical right party led by Nigel Farage, emerged as a clear victor, alongside the Greens on the populist left. Although these results might not translate directly into success at the next general election, it would be imprudent to dismiss the possibility that a populist party could enter government.
The results of the 2026 local government elections in Great Britain, held in May, confirm the collapse of the old political order. Reform, a populist radical right party led by Nigel Farage, emerged as a clear victor, alongside the Greens on the populist left. Although these results might not translate directly into success at the next general election, it would be imprudent to dismiss the possibility that a populist party could enter government. In the case of right wing populism, characterised above all by hostility to expertise and evidence, this would have serious implications for public health. The World Economic Forum's 2026 Global Risks Report identifies societal polarisation as one of the world's top 10 threats.1 A failure to prepare for a political environment in which expertise itself is contested would amount to gross negligence. At stake is not only policy direction, but the status of expertise itself in public...