A proposed new logo by the UK Independence Party (Ukip) has sparked backlash after many said it bears a striking resemblance to a symbol associated with Nazi Germany, prompting accusations that the far-right party is embracing extremist imagery.
The black-and-white logo, submitted to the Electoral Commission for approval, would replace Ukip's long-standing yellow and purple pound-sign emblem. The new design features a cross-like symbol, a shield and a spear, alongside a slogan branding the party "the new right".
Observers on social media and political analysts quickly drew comparisons between the cross on the logo and the Iron Cross, a military medal used in the Kingdom of Prussia and later adopted by Nazi Germany. The resemblance has been widely criticised as alarming, particularly given Ukip’s positioning on the far right of British politics.
Angus Parsad-Wyatt, director of political engagement at Total Politics, wrote on X that Ukip had applied to change its logo and that the design was "ever so slightly concerning".
Sunder Katwala, director of the British Future think tank, said the party was swapping the pound symbol for a cross "that looks very much like it is modelled on the Iron Cross used by Prussia & Germany 1871–1918 and Hitler’s Nazi regime from 1933–45".
Others were more blunt. One social media user wrote that the party was "proposing to change its logo from what looks like a £ sign to an iron cross", while another described the symbol as “sinister”.
The logo has already appeared on flags at Ukip demonstrations, though it cannot be used on ballot papers unless approved by the Electoral Commission.
Ukip has rejected the criticism, denying any association with Nazi symbolism. A party spokesperson said the emblem is not an Iron Cross but a Cross Pattée, which it described as a Christian symbol.
"The Cross Pattée has been featured throughout British history and is used as the Victoria Cross, sits on the crown of our monarch, and is also found within the parliamentary logo," the spokesperson said. "Are critics suggesting that the King, parliament and our war heroes are all Nazis?"
The spokesperson added that it was "outright offensive, ignorant and Christophobic” to describe the symbol as Nazi, calling such claims “religious bigotry and discrimination".
The party is currently led by Nick Tenconi, the chief operating officer of Turning Point UK, an organisation that promotes right-wing politics in British schools and universities. Ukip was previously led by Nigel Farage and enjoyed brief parliamentary success in the 2010s, but has since struggled for relevance.
The logo controversy comes amid renewed scrutiny of Ukip's activism. In October last year, the Metropolitan Police banned a planned Ukip demonstration in Tower Hamlets, east London, citing a "realistic prospect of serious disorder" in an area with a large Muslim population.
The protest had been promoted as part of a "mass deportations tour", with organisers calling to "reclaim Whitechapel from the Islamists".