Actress Says Australians Should Have Listened to One Nation’s Hanson 30 Years Ago

Australian actress Holly Valance attended the UK’s Uniting the Kingdom rally where she spoke of her change of heart in conservative politics.

Actress and singer Holly Valance attends the Reform Party 2024 Conference in Birmingham, England, on Sept. 20, 2024. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Australian actress and singer turned influencer Holly Valance says Australians should have listened to conservative politician Pauline Hanson back in the 1990s when she first started to become well-known for her opinions on mass migration.

Valance made the comments as she joined thousands of people at the Uniting the Kingdom rally in London at the weekend.

“All I can think is, imagine if we listened to Pauline when everyone who’s giving her so much stick in ‘96-’97, imagine how different it would be,” she said.

“Hindsight is an amazing thing and she was onto something then and we all laughed at her. I remember being a child, watching her, and being told that she’s a crazy lady.

“Not so much now.”

Valance has been an ardent supporter of One Nation, lending her voice to a parody song that was included in the party’s A Super Progressive Movie released earlier in the year.

Tens of thousands of people took to the streets of London for the event headed by conservative campaigner Tommy Robinson.

A number of speakers addressed the crowd on topics around national identity, safety and security amid concerns around mass migration and its impact on the UK.

The rally was met with a counter-protest organised by pro-Palestine activists.

Talking with media at the event, Valance urged her fellow Australians to be proud of being conservative.

“I would say, don’t be embarrassed, and don’t be too scared to stand up for your country, the place that you love, that’s given you everything—given your freedom, given you the great life that you have,” she said.

“Respect it, respect the culture, respect the flag. Don’t be embarrassed to fly the flag. Be patriotic, stand in that, and don’t let anybody tell you that you’re a racist for doing so.”

The former Neighbours star, who has been residing in the UK, said she had often been labelled right-wing, but saw the label more as a compliment.

“I think everything in life is about balance, and when the balance is off, things start feeling quite out of kilter,” she said.

“There’s obviously an issue with illegal immigration. I think it’s probably an issue with legal immigration as well, to an extent.

“We love where we’re from, we love our religion, we love our culture, we love our laws, we love the respect that we have for one another. And if you don’t have that, then jog on.”

Reform UK, One Nation Support High

There have been growing tensions in the UK over the political divide, with the conservative Reform UK party leading in polling.

Data released in April showed Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage, on 25 percent of the vote, while progressive incumbent party Labour was tied with the moderate Conservatives on 19 percent.

The polling also showed 74 percent of UK voters were dissatisfied with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer.

The UK results show a pattern that is also being reflected in Australia, with One Nation receiving increasing support in Roy Morgan polling released on May 18.

The research, based on 1,668 electors, showed support for One Nation had increased by 2.5 points to 24.5 percent across Australia, while Labor’s post-budget approval had dropped the party one point to 29.5 percent support.

The Liberals remained at 21 percent.

Roy Morgan says the analysis shows many federal electorates in the next national election are likely to be contests between Labor and One Nation.

Valance says in the case of the UK, the leadership was paying the price for not doing what the citizens wanted and needed.

“I think Nigel’s got an incredible chance,” she said.

‘Turning Point for Britain’: Robinson

Robinson addressed social media during the rally, saying London’s Parliament Square was full of supporters stretching to Euston Station—a distance of just under five kilometres.

“This is the biggest event in British history,” he said.

“This is the moment, a turning point for Britain. A message for the leaders—Britain’s ready for the fight.

“We’re awake, we’re not going to back down.”

Commentators Barred from Attending the Rally

Starmer had announced in the lead-up to the Uniting the Kingdom rally that he would be blocking international conservative commentators from attending.

As part of this, Australian influencer Avi Yemini claimed he had been cancelled from travelling to the UK despite not having any plans to go to Britain or attend the event.

Yemini says he was told his presence would be rejected because it “would not be conducive to the public good” and he could not appeal the decision.

On May 12, Starmer labelled potential attendees of the rally as “far-right agitators.”

“We will not allow people to come to the UK, threaten our communities and spread hate on our streets,” he said.