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A public address announcement served as an early indication that Reform UK’s conference agenda was being reshaped by unfolding events in Westminster.
The resignation of Angela Rayner had already posed a challenge to Nigel Farage’s keynote address in Birmingham.
However, when Reform leadership became aware that Keir Starmer was leveraging the departure to initiate a comprehensive cabinet reshuffle, they expedited Farage’s appearance on stage.
As the news reverberated throughout the National Exhibition Centre’s cafes and bars, party members swiftly convened to take their seats.
Reform conferences have evolved into polished, high-budget affairs, so the pyrotechnics accompanying the leader’s arrival elicited little surprise.
“This government is deeply entrenched in crisis,” Farage stated, seeking to capitalize on Labour’s internal challenges.
He asserted that the cabinet comprised “wholly unqualified individuals to govern our nation.”
“They are unfit to govern,” he declared. “We are the party that champions decent, working individuals, and we are the party gaining momentum.”
In an unscripted address, Farage suggested that political instability on the left could precipitate a general election as early as 2027, although a 2029 election, as anticipated by Starmer, remains more probable.
This appeared to form part of a broader argument advocating for Reform to intensify its campaigning efforts and prepare for all potential scenarios.
Following the party’s success in May’s local and mayoral elections, he contended that the 2026 races for the Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd would constitute “an essential building block” in advance of a UK general election.
Nadine Dorries, a fellow alumnus of “I’m A Celebrity,” made a brief appearance. The former Conservative cabinet minister reiterated her assertion that her former political party was “dead.”
Andrea Jenkyns, the Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire and another Conservative defector, indicated that discussions were underway with three additional former Conservative MPs regarding potential affiliation with Reform.
The party’s annual conference is an increasingly professional event, and Reform’s consistent lead in opinion polls has evidently garnered the attention of public affairs professionals.
The most conspicuous addition to this year’s attendees was a contingent of lobbyists touring the venue, seeking to understand potential avenues for collaboration with a Reform-led government.
However, the influx of corporate interests does not appear to have diminished the party’s distinctive – and at times flamboyant – character. Where else could one encounter Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory MP and “Strictly” contestant, accompanied by a stern bodyguard, or Jeremy Kyle, the former daytime TV personality, strolling through the exhibition hall?
After dominating the domestic news cycle for much of the summer with pronouncements on illegal immigration, Reform’s 2025 conference has been significantly overshadowed by the Rayner reshuffle narrative.
The party and its members maintain a bullish outlook regarding their prospects in the coming years.
However, time can be a volatile factor in politics. Regardless of whether the next general election occurs in two years, as predicted by Farage, or in four years’ time, as is more probable, circumstances can rapidly evolve – including opinion polls.
Maintaining that lead constitutes Farage’s foremost challenge.
“We will approach that with utmost seriousness,” he affirmed, adding that Reform would require 5,000 vetted candidates by the following year.
Farage announced the creation of a new department to facilitate Reform’s readiness for potential governance and revealed that Zia Yusuf, the party’s former chairman, had been appointed as its head of policy.
He pledged “serious” reductions in the benefits bill and boldly asserted that he could “stop the boats within two weeks,” without elaborating on the specific mechanisms by which either objective would be achieved.
Reform’s only Senedd politician has again denied asking a staff member to maximise her expenses.
Jenkyns appeared on stage at the NEC in Birmingham, singing her self-written song Insomniac.
Richard Tice says Doncaster Council’s pension scheme provider is “woefully underperforming”.
Richard Tice says manifesto pledges ahead of last year’s general election are “not appropriate” for a future election.
Deputy leader Richard Tice says voters want West Northamptonshire Council to take action.
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