The “surge” of Nigel Farage‘s Reform UK has been compared to that of the Nazis in 1930s Germany by the chairman of the Southbank Centre, sparking a fierce backlash from Jewish community leaders and senior politicians. Misan Harriman, the high-profile filmmaker and close associate of the Duke and Duchess of Sussex, made the remarks in a social media video addressing the results of the recent local elections.

In the clip, Mr Harriman referenced a historical conversation between US author Kurt Vonnegut and the late Susan Sontag regarding the rise of the Nazi party in pre-war Germany. Quoting Sontag’s observation that “10% of any population is cruel… 10% is merciful… and the remaining 80% can be moved in either direction,” he described the sentiment as “important” in light of Reform’s performance at the polls.

While Mr Harriman did not explicitly label Reform voters or Nigel Farage as Nazis, his decision to frame modern British voting patterns through the lens of Holocaust-era human behaviour has been branded “abhorrent.” Critics argue that invoking the darkest period of the 20th century to describe a legitimate democratic movement is both dangerous and deeply offensive to the victims of the Shoah.

Karen Pollock, chief executive of the Holocaust Educational Trust, expressed shock at the comparison.

She said in the Daily Mail: “Whatever one’s political view, how on earth could yesterday’s election results ever be comparable to the Holocaust—the mechanised state-sponsored murder of six million Jews?”.

Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesman, was equally scathing, describing the move as “disgusting” and calling for Mr Harriman’s immediate removal from the taxpayer-funded institution.

“This crass moron should be nowhere near a taxpayer-funded organisation,” Mr Jenrick added, highlighting the millions in public money the arts centre receives.

The Southbank Centre, which recently received £10 million from Arts Council England, moved quickly to distance itself from the row.

A spokesperson stated that the “personal views of individual members of our board do not represent the views of the Southbank Centre,” adding that the venue “condemns all forms of anti-Semitism, hatred and discrimination.”

In the video, Mr Harriman told his followers: “The surge of Reform is real… and it should be a warning and a rallying call at the same time.”

He argued that Reform voters are “not devils,” but suggested they had been “reading certain newspapers” and “listening to certain charlatans.”

He later claimed his words had been “misrepresented” and “taken out of context” by those who viewed a clipped version of his post, maintaining that he was discussing general “human behaviour” and the need for community building.

To justify his “warning,” Mr Harriman pointed to the recent suspension of a Reform councillor over historical racist social media posts. He argued that the rise of the party should be seen as a “rallying call” for those who value a cohesive society.

Despite support from some political allies who defended his right to free speech, the controversy shows no sign of cooling. Fiona Sharpe of Labour Against Antisemitism added that diminishing the systematic murder of millions in the current British climate was “unacceptable.”

A spokesman said: “The Southbank Centre condemns all forms of anti-Semitism, hatred and discrimination. The personal views of individual members of our board do not represent the views of the Southbank Centre.”

Express.co.uk has contacted Mr Harriman for comment.