Christian Groups 'Outraged' At Reform Conference Held In Church House

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27 February 2026
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Catherine WyattBBC spiritual affairs


A number of Christian groups have actually spoken of their "shock and dissatisfaction" that Reform UK was allowed to use the Church of England's headquarters for an interview.


They said the party's migration policies were opposed to Church beliefs and mentors.


Reform UK leader Nigel Farage revealed his brand-new top group at an interview in the Assembly Hall at Church House in Westminster last week.


The party stated the criticism was "bit more than an inexpensive political stunt".


Church House, whose lettings policy says it does not accept reservations from groups which "promote racial bias", said it ran on a commercial basis, and was not part of the Church of England.


Christians for a Welcoming Britain stated it was "outraged" that Church House had actually permitted Reform UK to use the place, which it created the impression the Church provided its "true blessing" to "hostile policies and divisive rhetoric".


Other organisations and celebrations - including the Conservatives and Labour - have formerly used the venue, as have Reform several times.


But it was their most current occasion, hosted inside the chamber where the Church of England had just 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 coordinator of Christians Against the Far Right, composed that the place had been "utilized as an ethical background for policies that oppose 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 negative scapegoating.


"As followers of Jesus, we need to decline to let the architecture of our faith be used to endorse the dehumanisation of our neighbours.


"The Church needs to be a sanctuary for the displaced, not a platform for their expulsion."


At Reform UK's occasion, Zia Yusuf was revealed as the celebration's lead on home affairs, with a focus on and unlawful migration.


The party has actually given that revealed strategies to develop a "UK Deportation Command", a brand-new firm to perform mass deportations of prohibited migrants.


It was not the very first time Church House had come under fire for its use by external organisations.


In late 2020, the venue hosted 2 boxing battles sponsored by online betting firm 32Red.


At the time, critics argued that betting addiction was devastating, and ought to not be seen to be promoted by the Church.


Campaigners have actually also previously opposed Royal United Services Institute (Rusi)'s yearly Land Warfare Conference being hosted at the venue.


In a declaration to the BBC, Church House said it accepted "reservations from organisations that satisfy our ethical lettings policy, based on schedule".


The policy mentions that reservations may be rejected if "the hirer promotes views which are anathema to the mentors of the Church of England, as might be verified by its Synodical or Episcopal statement from time to time, such as groups which promote racial bias".


A Reform UK spokesperson told the BBC: "This is little more than a cheap political stunt by a group that is totally out of touch with the British public.


"Poll after survey reveals immigration is a leading issue for citizens. Attempting to shut down dispute on a topic near to citizens' hearts is both un-Christian and authoritarian."