Alaa Abd el-Fattah: A Shocking Failure of Judgment by the British State
What happens when Conservative and Labour politicians are amateurs.
The return of Alaa Abd el-Fattah to Britain on Boxing Day should never have happened. That it was actively prioritised by this government — and celebrated by senior politicians — represents an extraordinary failure of judgment and a profound insult to British values.
Abd el-Fattah’s case has dominated headlines since his release from an Egyptian prison, not because of any great injustice done to Britain, but because of the appalling record of statements he himself has made. Statements that are openly racist, violent, and fundamentally hostile to the country he now resides in.
Views That Are Utterly Incompatible With Britain
The facts are not in dispute. Over a series of social media posts made in the early 2010s, Abd el-Fattah expressed views that should have disqualified him from ever being welcomed into Britain.
In 2010, he wrote posts that would have had him arrested if they were made in the United Kingdom.
That same year, he referred to the British as “dogs and monkeys”. In 2011, he went even further, claiming that police officers are “not human”, have no rights, and should be killed, while also tweeting support for suicide bombings.
These are not edgy remarks taken out of context. They are explicit endorsements of violence, racism, and terrorism — views that are completely opposed to Britain’s way of life and the rule of law.
Yet despite this, Keir Starmer publicly expressed his “delight” at Abd el-Fattah’s return, stating that securing his release had been a “top priority” for the government.
That alone should trouble every British voter.
A Cross-Party Failure
Labour has not been alone in championing Abd el-Fattah’s cause.
No fewer than 35 Labour MPs and peers wrote to the then Foreign Secretary David Lammy urging him to intervene on Abd el-Fattah’s behalf. They were joined by:
Six Conservative MPs
34 Liberal Democrats
11 SNP and Green parliamentarians
This was not a fringe campaign. It was a Westminster consensus, divorced entirely from the views and instincts of the British public.
And the Conservatives cannot wash their hands of responsibility. It was a previous Conservative government that changed the law to remove the good-character requirement for citizenship — and then granted Abd el-Fattah British citizenship in the first place.
Once again, both old parties have demonstrated the same instinct: prioritise activists and international campaigns over the safety, cohesion, and values of the British people.
Reform UK’s Position: Citizenship Is a Privilege, Not a Right
Reform UK is unequivocal.
Anyone who holds racist, anti-British views — and who openly advocates violence against civilians, police officers, or entire groups of people — should not be allowed to live in the United Kingdom.
That is why Nigel Farage has written directly to the Home Secretary, urging her to revoke Abd el-Fattah’s citizenship and order his immediate deportation.
Citizenship is not an entitlement. It is a privilege — and it must be revocable when someone demonstrates contempt for the country, its people, and its laws.
Why the Law Must Change
Under the current legal framework — heavily constrained by the European Convention on Human Rights — removing citizenship and deporting individuals like Abd el-Fattah is unnecessarily difficult, even when the evidence is overwhelming.
Reform UK will leave the ECHR and change the law so that:
Citizenship can be stripped from individuals who espouse violent, racist, or anti-British views
Deportation can be carried out swiftly and lawfully
Britain regains control over who is allowed to live here
This is not about free speech. It is about public safety, national cohesion, and moral clarity.
A Line Must Be Drawn
The Abd el-Fattah case exposes everything that is wrong with modern British politics: a ruling class more concerned with activist approval than public trust, and a system that bends over backwards for those who despise it.
Britain must draw a clear line.
If you advocate violence, hate this country, and openly call for the killing of others, you forfeit the right to live here.
Reform UK will say what the political class will not — and do what they refuse to do.