Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has wrapped up their first party conference as a mainstream political party.
The bash, held at the NEC in Birmingham, drew to a close with a rendition of the national anthem from the party’s Greater Lincolnshire Mayor, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, in which she twice sang “Queen” instead of “King”.
That lyrical error was not the only hiccup seen on the conference’s final day. Just over an hour before Dame Andrea sang, the controversial cardiologist Dr Aseem Malhotra spoke on the main stage and gave a speech in which he claimed: “It’s highly likely that the Covid vaccines have been a significant factor in the cancers of members of the royal family.”
The speech by Malhotra, who also opposes the use of cholesterol medicine Statins, has since prompted Health Secretary Wes Streeting to call for Nigel Farage to apologise for allowing him a platform.
He also called for the Reform leader to “sever all ties with this dangerous extremism.”
In addition to Streeting’s comments, Helen Morgan, the Liberal Democrat health spokesperson said of the speech: “It’s clear there is no lie too low or dangerous for Farage and his acolytes. Let there be no doubt: Reform are a threat to our health. We cannot let them get their hands on our NHS.”
Dr Malhotra wasn’t among the cast of Reform characters who flanked and sang alongside Dame Andrea for the finale of the two-day event.
Among the group were: long-time Farage insider Gawain Towler, leader of Warwickshire Council George Finch, recent Reform defector Graham Simpson MSP, London Mayoral hopeful Councillor Laila Cunningham, Reform’s London Assembly leader Alex Wilson, TV presenter and Deputy Leader of Durham Council Darren Grimes, Reform Deputy Leader Richard Tice, ex Party Chairman Zia Yusuf, Yusuf’s replacement as Chair Dr David Bull, Hull Mayor Luke Campbell, Sarah Pochin MP, Lee Anderson MP, and Nigel Farage himself.
Before the group lined up on stage, Farage had given a now familiar speech in which he invoked repeatedly his party’s polling lead (take a shot every time he says “have you seen the latest poll!”)
In his constant use of that phrase, the Reform frontman may be guilty of repetition, but he cannot be accused of being wrong. According to YouGov, 28 per cent of Britons are currently eagerly awaiting a chance to vote turquoise – 11 per cent more than currently intend to vote for any other party: an inescapable fact that explains why the stream of Tory figures joining his party is so constant.
The weekend’s final speech saw Nigel Farage announce the appointment of his Chief Whip, Lee Anderson, to the role of Reform UK’s welfare spokesperson. For the announcement, Anderson joined his leader onstage – and accepted the praise Farage heaped upon him for being one of the first Tory-Reform defectors.
The latest such defector, Nadine Dorries, was not seen on stage today. She gave one of the conference’s first speeches early on Friday afternoon – which most who saw it agreed was likely given off-the-cuff.
Dorries, who served in Boris Johnson’s cabinet as Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, said: “I’m now at a conference and among people who share the same principles and values as I have always held.”
Her speech was given just after Nigel Farage’s first speech of the weekend – which had been brought forward at short notice in a reaction to the Government reshuffle that followed it. And which, despite the best efforts of Team Farage, largely overshadowed the entire weekend.
On Friday, one journalist took to Twitter to say that they’d heard a colleague’s words: “Why are we here? The government is falling apart and we’re in effing Birmingham” – in reference to the resignation of Deputy PM Angela Rayner that, at any other time, would be regarded as an unmitigated victory for Reform UK.
In addition to confirming Lee Anderson’s appointment as welfare spokesperson, Nigel Farage also made a number of other announcements in his speeches over the weekend.
Speaking to a mostly full arena, he unveiled the appointment of Zia Yusuf as the party’s policy lead, and as head of a new Reform UK Department of Preparing for Government.
He also stated his belief that the current fiscal situation will lead to market meltdown that will in turn trigger an early General Election in 2027. He said his party “must be ready” for such a sequence of events.
A Labour Party Spokesperson, commenting as Reform’s party conference comes to an end, said:”Farage’s Reform are full of complaints, but have no answers to the issues Britain faces.
“Reform had the opportunity to use their conference to stop the “don’t know” answers and set out some proper policies, but they didn’t take it. Nigel Farage still hasn’t said how his asylum policy will work, what he wants to replace vital online safety laws with, or how he’d pay for his massive spending commitments.
“Farage has boasted about professionalising his Party, but he’s platformed an anti-vaxxer, a woman who called for hotels to be burnt down, and a frankly bizarre musical performance of “insomnia” from one of his mayors. They’re just not serious.
“Only this Labour Government is delivering the fairer future our country deserves – by putting more money back into working people’s pockets and giving Britain the renewal we need.”
