Women-led far-right groups expand across UK and Europe
Sky News investigation finds women's groups like the Pink Ladies are growing, with links to ethno-nationalists and Restore Britain.
The Full Story
A plain summary built from the channels that reported this story.
Women's groups are reshaping the hard right in Britain and Europe, with organisations like the Pink Ladies growing rapidly and drawing increasing numbers of women into activism that ranges from anti-immigration protests to explicit ethno-nationalism.
The Pink Ladies formed after an asylum seeker sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping last year. What began as a local protest has become a decentralised network with more than 50 branches across the UK. Their stated starting point is women's and children's safety, but reporters found that some members and organisers hold far more extreme views. One activist, Lucy White, told Sky News she would dedicate her life to the cause because she did not want to be "demographically replaced" and become a minority in her homeland. When asked about ethno-nationalism, another said it "should be the norm".
Social media is central to the movement's growth. Activists use Instagram and other platforms to recruit women, with some groups in Germany, such as Lucreta, presenting a modern, sometimes "cutesy" image. The groups operate across European borders, sharing a common opposition to immigration and a belief that Western identity is under threat.
The movement is not isolated. The Pink Ladies have explicit links to the Restore Britain party, whose security spokesperson Henry Bolton has spoken at their rallies. Orla Minnehane, a Pink Ladies organiser, is now Restore's spokesperson for women's affairs. The party is reportedly bankrolled by former Reform UK MP Rupert Lowe. Other figures from the fringes of British politics, including former UKIP leader Henry Bolton and Ben Habib, have been involved.
The tone is becoming more assertive. At a recent protest in Dover, marchers chanted "When women and children are under attack, what do we do? Stand back!" and the rhetoric from speakers was described as "more punchy". Some within the movement deny being far right, insisting they are simply anti-immigration. But investigators found a quick move from safety concerns to talk of mass deportations and even ethnic cleansing.
The groups have attracted attention from politicians. A motion in the Commons tabled by independent MP James McMurdock commended the Pink Ladies' efforts. It was backed by Rupert Lowe and others. However, the movement remains on the fringes, and while it is growing, it is not representative of the majority of women, who continue to lean towards progressive parties.
On screen
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Key Claims
Claims reported during this story's coverage, mapped by channel. Ordered by how many channels carried each claim.
| Claim | Sky News |
|---|---|
| Former UKIP leader Henry Bolton spoke at a Pink Ladies rally. | |
| Orla Minnehane joined Restore Britain and serves as its spokesperson for women's affairs. | |
| Pink Ladies groups formed after an asylum seeker sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl and a woman in Epping the previous year. | |
| Pink Ladies has more than 50 groups across the country. | |
| Social media is crucial for recruiting and operates across European borders. | |
| Some members of the groups express extreme views, including civil war rhetoric. | |
| Some women in the groups embrace being called far right. | |
| The Pink Ladies are linked to Restore Britain, which has provided funding. | |
| Women's groups are increasingly leading anti-immigration protests. |
Channel Perspectives
What each channel focused on, with key quotes.
This morning programme used the report as a teaser, highlighting the surprising role of women in far-right activism and the extreme views within the groups. It emphasised the visual contrast of the White Cliffs and the changing voices, but did not provide additional political analysis or context beyond the report itself.
- “Now some of what you hear is uncomfortable, some of it is offensive.”
- “But others within their ranks are committed extremists and are happy to exploit that gap.”
This broadcast aired a longer version of the investigation, including interviews that exposed the ethno-nationalist ideology of some activists. It focused on the contradiction between the women's self-perception as moderate and the extreme views they expressed, such as support for mass deportation and demographic replacement.
- “They call us far right. I'm not far right. Far from far right. We're brought up in London, where all our friends are all different colour and come from all different places.”
- “I would dedicate my life to this, because my ancestors fought in World War II to save our country, and I'm not going to sit back and be demographically replaced and become a minority in my homeland.”
- “I think it should be the norm, the kind of ethno-nationalist movement.”
This bulletin presented the report with a focus on the evolution of the movement, noting that the tone has become more assertive and that the Pink Ladies are now explicitly linked with Restore Britain. It highlighted the quick shift from women's safety to mass deportation rhetoric.
- “The Pink Ladies are a decentralised organisation, with branches and counties all around the UK.”
- “It is a quick move from protesting about women's safety to talking about mass deportations on the basis of ancestry.”
- “Another way of saying ethnic cleansing.”
This show provided additional political analysis, linking the Pink Ladies to the Restore Britain party and its funding by Rupert Lowe. It discussed the involvement of former UKIP and Reform figures, and placed the movement in the context of broader far-right activity in British politics.
- “Well, there are links between the Pink Ladies group, not to be confused with a breast cancer campaign. It used to be quite a similar name, I think. The Pink Ladies group is bankrolled, it seems, similar to a large extent by Rupert Lowe, who leads the Restore Britain party.”
- “And then, not long after that, in February this year, he announced that one of the ladies we saw in that report, who is called Orla Minnehane, who is the leader of the Pink Ladies group.”
Broadcast Timeline
News broadcasts tracked for this story, in time order.