British pop singer Yazz has criticised Reform UK for using her hit song The Only Way Is Up in a social media post, saying the party's politics go against her Christian values.
The artist, best known for her 1988 chart-topping single, said she was “horrified” after discovering the music had been used in a post by Reform UK Stockport Manor Ward.
The Facebook post featured a recruitment leaflet with the image of party leader Nigel Farage, encouraging people to join Reform UK and offering a free mug and pin badge to new members.
The song was credited as the audio accompanying the post, which included the caption: “The Only Way Is Up” followed by a blue heart emoji.
In a statement on social media, Yazz made clear that she did not support Reform UK and said the use of her music should not be interpreted as an endorsement of the party or its politics.
“As a woman, a Christian, a musician, and the mixed-ethnicity daughter of Jamaican and English parents, being linked to this political party of any kind goes against my existence,” she said.
She added that her Christian faith and family background had shaped her values, particularly her belief in caring for vulnerable people and treating others equally.
“My roots and family taught me to value the foreigner, Jesus teaches me to love my neighbour, and my womanhood has taught me to stand beside those who are pushed to the margins,” she wrote.
“My life and faith teachings call me to feed the hungry, care for the vulnerable and recognise the invaluable humanity in every person.”
Yazz also criticised political rhetoric which she believes makes people feel less valued because of where they were born, the colour of their skin, their gender or their financial circumstances.
She said her music was rooted in “our shared humanity”, the capacity for goodness and the hope that comes from people working together as equals.
“Reform UK’s politics go against those values and everything I want my music to stand for,” she added.
While acknowledging that she could not control who chose to use her music in social media videos, Yazz called on the party to remove the track from its reels on Facebook and Instagram and refrain from using it in future.
“My voice is my own. Please do not use it to speak for you,” she said.
Premier has contacted Reform UK for comment.