Farage promotes Jenrick and Braverman as he unveils new Reform front bench

Politics
17 Feb 2026 • 7:52 PM MYT
The Independent
The Independent

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Nigel Farage said Reform UK was “the voice of opposition” to Labour as he unveiled his party’s first frontbench appointments.

Two Conservative defectors, Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman, were given spokesperson roles along with senior Reform figures Richard Tice and Zia Yusuf.

Mr Jenrick, a former communities secretary under Boris Johnson, was named Reform’s economic spokesman barely a month after joining the party from the Tories.

Pledging to oppose “oppose the wrecking ball that is Rachel Reeves and this Labour Government”, he said he would put together “the most comprehensive plan of any political party” to “fix Britain’s broken economy” and cut the welfare bill.

Prior to Mr Jenrick’s defection, both Mr Tice and Mr Yusuf had been regarded as potential economic spokesmen for Reform.

But Mr Tice, the deputy leader, was named as the spokesman for business, trade and energy, proposing a new “super department” aimed at increasing growth to 4% of GDP.

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He said the party would focus on using oil and gas to help boost the economy and would abandon net-zero targets.

He said the party would also create a “serious” British wealth fund.

Mr Yusuf, the party’s policy chief, was named home affairs spokesman, promising to cut both legal and illegal migration, including by withdrawing from any international treaty preventing mass deportations.

Ms Braverman, who was twice sacked as home secretary, was made Reform’s spokeswoman for education and equalities just weeks after joining the party.

She said Reform would set of target of 50% of young people going into “trades” rather than to university and scrap the equalities department.

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