Christian Groups 'Outraged' At Reform Conference Held In Church House
27 February 2026
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Catherine WyattBBC religious affairs
A number of Christian groups have spoken of their "shock and dissatisfaction" that Reform UK was permitted to use the Church of England's headquarters for an interview.
They said the celebration's immigration policies were opposed to Church beliefs and mentors.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced his new leading team at a press conference in the Assembly Hall at Church House in Westminster last week.
The celebration said the criticism was "little more than an inexpensive political stunt".
Church House, whose lettings policy states it does not accept from groups which "promote racial bias", stated it operated on a commercial basis, and was not part of the Church of England.
Christians for a Welcoming Britain said it was "annoyed" that Church House had allowed Reform UK to utilize the location, which it created the impression the Church offered its "blessing" to "hostile policies and dissentious rhetoric".
Other organisations and celebrations - consisting of the Conservatives and Labour - have actually formerly utilized the location, as have Reform several times.
But it was their latest event, hosted inside the chamber where the Church of England had only the week before held its national assembly, General Synod, which caused the most significant stir.
Christians from the groups Better Story, Christians Against the Far Right and Christians for a Welcoming Britain, have actually written to Church House to complain.
In his letter, Reverend Keith Brindle, a Church of England priest in Frome, and planner of Christians Against the Far Right, composed that the place had been "used as a moral backdrop for policies that contradict the very heart of the Christian faith".
He composed: "Church House has actually offered a veneer of spiritual legitimacy to Reform's anti-migrant and anti-Muslim politics, and their cynical scapegoating.
"As fans of Jesus, we need to decline to let the architecture of our faith be used to back the dehumanisation of our neighbours.
"The Church must be a sanctuary for the displaced, not a platform for their expulsion."
At Reform UK's occasion, Zia Yusuf was revealed as the party's lead on home affairs, with a concentrate on cutting legal and unlawful migration.
The celebration has given that announced strategies to develop a "UK Deportation Command", a new agency to perform mass deportations of unlawful migrants.
It was not the very first time Church House had actually come under fire for its usage by external organisations.
In late 2020, the location hosted 2 boxing battles sponsored by online gaming firm 32Red.
At the time, critics argued that gambling addiction was damaging, and should not be seen to be promoted by the Church.
Campaigners have actually likewise previously opposed Royal United Services Institute (Rusi)'s annual Land Warfare Conference being hosted at the venue.
In a declaration to the BBC, Church House said it accepted "bookings from organisations that meet our ethical lettings policy, subject to availability".
The policy states that reservations might be denied if "the hirer promotes views which are anathema to the teachings of the Church of England, as may be verified by its Synodical or Episcopal statement from time to time, such as groups which promote racial prejudice".
A Reform UK spokesperson informed the BBC: "This is little more than an inexpensive political stunt by a group that is entirely out of touch with the British public.
"Poll after poll reveals migration is a leading problem for citizens. Attempting to shut down debate on a subject close to voters' hearts is both un-Christian and authoritarian."