Reform UK spending on Facebook ads surged before May elections
Reform UK sharply increased Facebook ad spending before the May elections, nearly matching Labour on its main pages and spending more than rivals on some days.
Intelligence analysis by GPT-5.4 Mini
The Guardian says Reform UK turned a much larger, more organised Facebook campaign into a key part of its election push, with concentrated spending on Farage and the party’s main pages. The report also links that digital lift to a recent surge in donations, especially from wealthy backers.
Reform UK spent a lot more money on Facebook ads right before the elections. That meant more people saw its messages online, and some of those messages were aimed at specific places, like Scotland or Wales.
Think of it like putting posters up in the exact streets where a team thinks it can win, instead of sticking the same poster everywhere. Reform seems to have done that very carefully, and it had enough money to do it well.
The article says this matters because elections are not only about speeches and rallies anymore. Money can help a party show up on phones and computers more often, which can change what voters notice.
Analysis
Spending surge
Reform UK sharply increased its Facebook ad activity in the final two weeks before the May elections. According to analysis by Who Targets Me, the party spent £252,000 on its main Facebook pages over that period, almost matching Labour’s £276,000. On several days, Reform spent more than any other party on Facebook.
How the campaign changed
The Guardian reports that Reform’s spending was concentrated through just two pages: the party’s main page and Nigel Farage’s page. The campaign also became more sophisticated, using localised ads and postcode targeting. In England, some ads urged voters not to back the Conservatives and argued that only Reform could stop Labour. In Scotland and Wales, the party tailored messages against the SNP and a possible Labour-Plaid Cymru coalition.
Money behind the push
The report ties the ad strategy to a strong flow of donations. Reform raised £5.5m in the last quarter of 2025, more than other parties, including a £200,000 donation from JCB’s parent company and another £3m from crypto investor Christopher Harborne. The article says this gives Reform the resources to run sustained digital campaigns, while Labour still outspent it once all associated accounts were included.
Wider implications
The piece suggests Reform is no longer relying only on viral online politics. It now appears able to buy reach, target voters locally, and run a more disciplined digital operation. The Guardian also notes that Labour remains the only party spending on YouTube, while the Conservatives lagged behind Reform on Meta in the final two weeks before the vote.
Key points
- Reform spent £252,000 on Facebook ads in the final two weeks before the May elections on its main pages.
- Labour spent £276,000 on its main Facebook pages, but its spending was spread across more accounts.
- Reform used more local targeting and tailored messages in England, Scotland, and Wales.
- The party’s ad push came after a large donation influx, including money from Christopher Harborne.
- The report suggests Reform’s digital campaigning has become more professional and better funded.
