Nigel Farage is to announce that he will make Parliament “sit day and night” until all legislation is passed if Reform UK wins the next general election.
The announcement is set to be made in his keynote speech at the party’s conference in Birmingham.
He will also blast the Tories for their “failed” 14 years in government and highlight that Andy Burnham “wants 10 more”.
To bring home his argument, he will state that “time is running out to save Britain” and that the country “doesn’t have 10 years to be saved”.
In the first of his two speeches at the conference, he will say: “Within days of winning the general election, we will introduce dozens of Bills and force Parliament to sit all through summer for seven days a week to pass them.”
It comes as Reform UK has been reported to the police over allegations it breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
The party took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, Channel 4 News reported.
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Key Points
- Farage vows to force parliament to ‘sit day and night’ if he wins power
- Reform UK reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
- Jenrick refuses to promise tax cuts in first budget
- Reform floats skipping Budget if it wins general election
- Support for Reform at 18 month low
Bank of England chief economist calls for interest rates to be raised
03:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainInterest rates should be increased to curb growing inflation risks triggered by the energy crisis in the Middle East, the Bank of England’s chief economist has warned.
Huw Pill said he was “uncomfortable with a ‘wait-and-see’” stance from his fellow policymakers.
Mr Pill also warned of the dangers of holding rates steady while awaiting firmer evidence on how the conflict involving Iran will influence inflationary pressure across the UK economy.
Bank of England chief economist calls for interest rates to be raised
Holborn and St Pancras by-election could be ‘make or break’ for Zack Polanski, top pollster warns
02:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe Holborn and St Pancras by-election could be “make or break” for Zack Polanski if he is selected as the Green Party’s candidate, polling guru professor Sir John Curtice has warned.
He told The Independent the contest would be a “severe test” of the Green Party leader’s abilities, warning it is likely to be a “tough gig” for the party given how successful Labour has been in the seat historically.
It comes after Mr Polanski, who is currently not an MP but sits on the London Assembly, said he wants to stand in the contest, triggered by the resignation of former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer.
Holborn and St Pancras by-election ‘could be make or break’ for Zack Polanski
Lisa Nandy to meet TikTok amid ‘epidemic’ of dangerous behaviour on social media
01:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainLisa Nandy has said she will meet TikTok “in the coming days” as she told MPs there is more to do to address an “epidemic” of young people using social media to encourage dangerous behaviour.
It comes after two police officers died last month when their vehicle collided with a car being driven the wrong way along a dual carriageway in Teesside, killing five young men as well.
A social media account, thought to have belonged to one of the five, posted videos last year appearing to show dangerous driving, the BBC reported. The videos have since been removed.
Lisa Nandy to meet TikTok amid ‘epidemic’ of dangerous behaviour on social media
Majority of Britons agree with Burnham that Brexit was ‘wrong turn’ for UK
00:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe majority of Britons agree with Andy Burnham that the country took a wrong turn by leaving the European Union, but they are split over his belief that Margaret Thatcher’s premiership set the country on the wrong path.
Addressing the House of Commons for the first time as prime minister on Tuesday, the former mayor of Greater Manchester took aim at deindustrialisation and privatisation of the 1980s, and the impact of austerity and Brexit on regions of the UK outside of England’s South East and London.
He listed the “series of wrong turns” the UK has made since over the past 40s years and warned that Brexit had embedded the problems in the last decade.
Majority of Britons agree with Burnham that Brexit was ‘wrong turn’ for UK
Reform reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
23:07 , Maryam Zakir-HussainReform UK has been reported to the police over allegations it breached political donation rules by having polling paid for by an overseas company.
Nigel Farage’s party took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500, Channel 4 News reported.
The purported donors were in fact undercover reporters from investigative group Verbatim posing as an American financier and his UK-based son.
Reform reported to police over claims of funding rules breach in undercover sting
What to expect from the Reform conference
23:00 , Maryam Zakir-HussainThe two-day conference in Birmingham is expected to hear from senior Reform figures setting out their own pledges for their first 100 days in office, as well as an address from Jordan Bardella, leader of the French National Rally.
Nigel Farage is expected to announce that any frontbenchers who fail to achieve those targets “will be sacked”.
He is also due to make his own promise to focus on reducing the cost of living and lead on efforts to end small boat crossings in the Channel.
This summer saw the lowest number of crossings in six years, while the overall number for the year is at its lowest since 2021, but the subject remains a key issue with 16,513 people making the journey so far this year.
Farage vows to force parliament to ‘sit day and night’ if he wins power
22:02 , Maryam Zakir-HussainNigel Farage is to announce that he will declare a “national emergency” if Reform UK wins the General Election.
The announcement is set to be made in his keynote speech at the party’s conference in Birmingham.
He will also blast the Tories for their “failed” 14 years in government and highlight that Andy Burnham “wants 10 more”.
To bring home his argument, he will state that “time is running out to save Britain” and that the country “doesn’t have 10 years to be saved”.
Recap: Reform will win trust of financial markets by being party of 'fiscal responsibility'
21:35 , Harriette BoucherNigel Farage’s party will build credibility with the financial markets by being the party of fiscal responsibility, Robert Jenrick said.
Speaking from the party’s conference, the party’s business spokesperson said: “I want Reform to be different to that so we have to earn the markets’ trust and respect in the period between now and the general election, and in the days immediately after the general election.
“I think it will require urgent action by a chancellor to say it’s different now, we’ve got this, we’re going to behave in a responsible way.”
He added: “Reform is the party of fiscal responsibility.
“The Conservative Party ceded that ground for the first time in a very long time with the events of the mini-budget a couple of years ago.”
If elected, he said his party would unveil a budget within its first 100 days.
Watch: Prime Minister Andy Burnham holds a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron
21:15 , Harriette BoucherUK poll tracker: Reform slips in polls as party’s conference starts
20:30 , Harriette BoucherFarage is loved by some but hated by more – now even Reform can see it
19:45 , Harriette BoucherIn an astonishing admission, Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice has admitted that the party needs to get the country to ‘love Nigel Farage again’ – and that’s a big problem for the party, as political editor David Maddox explains:
Farage is loved by some but hated by more – now even Reform can see it
Reform welfare cut promises based on 'fantasy', economist says
19:00 , Harriette BoucherReform UK’s promise to cut £100bn in public spending is based on “fantasy”, an economist has warned.
Jonathan Portes has criticised Robert Jenrick’s claim that his party would slash £50bn from welfare, cut another £20-30bn from other departments and reduce debt interest by £28bn.
The treasury spokesman told The Telegraph that the savings would fund tax cuts, saying: “We won’t make the same mistake as Rachel Reeves.”
Mr Portes has casted doubt on the claims, saying: “Reform promised to copy Trump and Musk by saving billions from government waste. The result was chaos and little or no savings.
“Based on what we know of Reform's plans the likelihood is that we would see much the same here.
“In particular their plans for large welfare savings without touching pensions are fantasy -their numbers don't come close to adding up.”
Company linked to Chelsea FC co-owner Todd Boehly gives £75K to Reform
18:15 , Harriette BoucherA company tied to to Chelsea FC co-owner Todd Boehly donated £75,000 to Reform earlier this year
Electoral Commission registrations, which were published today, revealed that Elridge Capital Management Services (UK) LTD gave Nigel Farage’s party the money earlier this year.
Mr Boehly is the chief executive of Eldridge Industries, an American holding company headquartered in Miami.
Eldridge Capital Management Services is ultimately controlled by Mr Boehly and he is listed as a former director.
Reform rakes in additional £4M from crypto entrepreneur
17:30 , Harriette BoucherCrypto entrepreneur Ben Delo, who co-founded cryptocurrency trading platform BitMex, has given Reform two additional donations of £4M, data published by the Electoral Commission shows.
Mr Delo made a payment of £1M to the party in April and £3M in May, bringing his total donations to £8M after two previous payments of £2M.
In 2022, Mr Delo plead guilty in the US to violating the Bank Secrecy Act by wilfully failing to establish, implement, and maintain an anti-money laundering program at BitMex.
Last year, he was pardoned by Donald Trump.
Reform is 'the new austerity party', says trade union boss
16:42 , Harriette BoucherReform has branded itself as “the new austerity party”, the general secretary of the TUC union has said.
Following a series of policy announcements from Robert Jenrick, Paul Nowak said: “Reform has officially announced itself as the new austerity party.
“They want to bring back slash and burn back of a fag packet economics that hollowed out our schools and hospitals, cut communities to the bone and hammered living standards across Britain.
“Make no mistake - this is a recipe for rising inequality and financial hardship. Reform would strip support from millions of families to line the pockets of those who already have the most.”
Jenrick hints at cutting income tax before inheritance tax
16:14 , Harriette BoucherRobert Jenrick has suggested that Reform would rather cut income tax before it cut inheritance tax, arguing it would help more people.
Reform UK has previously committed to abolishing inheritance tax but the party’s economic spokesman told a fringe event at its annual conference: “I do think you have to think, if you have some headroom and you want to deploy it, what has the greatest effect, what will help the people who are finding life toughest at the moment?
“And, I don’t know, if you were looking at income tax, there’s 40 million income tax payers in this country, versus inheritance tax, where there’s 36,000 estates a year.
“I mean, it’s a bold chancellor to say I would rather privilege 36,000 families than 40 million taxpayers.”
He added that the issue could become “a divide” between Reform and the Conservatives, saying the Tories were becoming a “regional party” that could focus on “the sectional interests of the asset rich, the older, those who have got lucky in life” while Reform focused on “the interest of everyone and the national interest”.
Jenrick refuses to promise tax cuts in first budget
15:56 , Harriette BoucherReform UK’s economic spokesman Robert Jenrick said he “would like to believe” there would be tax cuts in his party’s first budget, but stopped short of guaranteeing it.
Asked if people would receive tax cuts in Reform’s first budget, the treasury spokesman said: “Yes, I’d like to believe that there would be. Yeah, absolutely.”
But he added: “The full scale of our ambition when it comes to cutting taxes on work, on business, is going to have to come down the tracks.”
Mr Jenrick said Reform would have to “order our thoughts for what is priority.
“You have to learn the lessons of what happened with Liz Truss and the mini-budget, where you just basically went into the sweetie shops and took everything off the shelves and stuck it into a budget.”
Indefinite leave to remain to be abolished under Reform government
15:47 , Harriette BoucherReform will abolish indefinite leave to remain and “create a longer and more challenging path” towards British citizenship.
“One of the most important pieces of legislation that we will do is abolition of ILR,” Robert Jenrick told his party’s conference.
“We cannot just have a load of people, who let’s be honest with ourselves, are not net contributors to the UK, economically, but happen to have carelessly been given by prior governments.”
He described Shabana Mahmood’s immigration policy a “pale imitation” of Reform’s.
Reform will cut foreign aid contracts within days of being elected
15:35 , Harriette BoucherRobert Jenrick has again promised to slash foreign aid to £1bn a year, saying contracts will be slashed within a matter of days of a Reform government.
“We will be putting some of those international organisations on notice,” he told his party’s conference.
“I remember the Trump administration came in and Marco Rubio cancelled contracts for foreign aid immediately and some people thought that was harsh but you have to make those sort of decisions
“We will be making those sort of decisions. Those contract will end within in a matter of days,” he said.
Mr Jenrick added that Reform would cut contracts as a demonstration to financial markets of its seriousness.
“That money can then be used to do the other priorities of government and as a demonstration to markets of our seriousness, and that we won’t just be pussyfooting around and in a year still spending £10bn on foreign aid.”
He admitted his party would take radical action and it would happen fast and suggested funding to Natural England could get the axe.
“It will mean going through quangos and saying that some of these cannot continue.
“This is going to happen fast and even if you can’t abolish Natural England within the first 100 days, you can turn the tap off. You can stop funding it.”
'Reform is not for Benefits Street'
15:27 , Harriette BoucherReform UK will cut spending with its welfare reforms and not be “a party of Benefits Street”, Robert Jenrick has declared.
He told his party conference: “We in Reform have made a very conscious decision that we are going to be a party of working people, we’re not going to be a party of Benefits Street.
“So we have already put in place very substantial and detailed policies on welfare reform.”
Reform will win trust of financial markets by being party of 'fiscal responsibility'
15:18 , Harriette BoucherNigel Farage’s party will build credibility with the financial markets by being the party of fiscal responsibility, Robert Jenrick said.
Speaking from the party’s conference, the party’s business spokesperson said: “I want Reform to be different to that so we have to earn the markets’ trust and respect in the period between now and the general election, and in the days immediately after the general election.
“I think it will require urgent action by a chancellor to say it’s different now, we’ve got this, we’re going to behave in a responsible way.”
He added: “Reform is the party of fiscal responsibility.
“The Conservative Party ceded that ground for the first time in a very long time with the events of the mini-budget a couple of years ago.”
If elected, he said his party would unveil a budget within its first 100 days.
Macrons urges Larry the cat to resist scratching Bayeux Tapestry
14:50 , Harriette BoucherReform draws in TikTok, Google, and Heathrow Airport at conference
14:42 , Harriette BoucherReform has drummed up support from major tech, social media, and construction companies at its party conference this year.
Google, TikTok, Vodafone, and Heathrow Airport are among the businesses sponsoring or running events at the three-day conference.
Also in attendance is construction giant Keltbray Group, manufacturing company JCB, and Dubai Ports, a multinational logistics company.
Richard Tice said the conference was kicking off with its first ever “business day”, which includes a full day of “business-focused sessions, fringe events and panel discussions” with around 1,000 business delegates.
Analysis: Trump’s Falklands move shows Britain must be ready to defend itself
14:30 , Maira ButtThe warning by Donald Trump that he might not support the UK in defending the Falklands from a future invasion underlines the dire situation Andy Burnham is facing on defence spending.
It may seem far-fetched to think there would be an invasion of the Falklands by Argentina, even after its president Javier Milei issued a fresh warning over the islands, saying his country’s national sovereignty had been “violated” and he would defend its interests “with tooth and nail, no matter who it bothers”.
But we have to remember that, back in the early 1980s, few believed they would do it then until they did.
Trump’s Falklands move shows Britain must be ready to defend itself
UK poll tracker: Nigel Farage’s Reform slips in polls as party’s conference starts
14:09 , Maira ButtNigel Farage’s party continues to drop in popularity as Reform begin their annual conference in Birmingham.
Although Reform made gains in the devolved and local elections this May, the party has since become bogged down in controversies over donations to Mr Farage, has faced competition on its right from Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain, and has lost its lead in voting intention polls since Andy Burnham took office.
A YouGov poll on voting intention released on Wednesday put the parties neck-and-neck at 23 points. In comparison, in August a poll put Labour at 24 points to Reform’s 22, marking a two-point lead to Labour.
UK poll tracker: Nigel Farage’s Reform slips in polls as party’s conference starts
Reform promises tax-free buy-to-let homes
13:44 , Maira ButtRichard Tice, Reform’s deputy leader, has promised tax-free new homes, according to the Telegraph.
He said the aim of the policy would be to revive the buy-to-let market and drive investment.
Mr Tice said that a consultation would be launched on building homes on sites free of stamp duty, capital gains tax and tax on rental income for a decade.
He estimated that the plan could create an additional 20,000 homes per year built on former commercial and industrial sites.
Reform UK floats skipping Budget if it wins general election
13:30 , Maira ButtReform UK could begin implementing financial policies rather than waiting for a Budget if it wins the next general election, its treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick said on Thursday.
Speaking at the Reform UK conference, Mr Jenrick said that the party could start “immediately beginning to legislate” within a week of winning.
Usually, the treasury is expected to provide at least 70 days notice to the Office for Budget Responsibility in order for it to prepare a forecast.
The party dropped its original plans to scrap the OBR altogether, with Jenrick previously saying that it “wasn’t an easy decision”.
Watch: Prime Minister Andy Burnham holds a bilateral meeting with French President Emmanuel Macron
13:16 , Harriette BoucherReform unveils 'teal paper' to boost development and 'reinvigorate' town centres
13:03 , Harriette BoucherRichard Tice has unveiled his party’s “teal paper” during his keynote speech at Reform's conference today.
The deputy leader outlined his party’s aim to relax planning consent requirements and reinvigorate town centres, stressing that it was a “consultation” and not a definitive policy.
“We’re not quite in government yet, although given how much we’re influencing government sometimes it feels it.
“So we’ve called a planning teal paper, as opposed to a green paper.”
Mr Tice said strict planning consents had caused a “planning crisis” and “a collapse in housing starts and housing completions.
“Planning, it takes too long, it’s too expensive, and the risk is too high too early in the process.
“The other significant crisis is actually within our town centres, the heart of our towns, the urban areas,” he said, adding that towns were being “hollowed out” and taken over by vape shops, Turkish barbers, minimarts and arcades.
Analysis: Farage is loved by some but hated by more – now even Reform can see it
12:43 , Harriette BoucherIn an astonishing admission, Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice has admitted that the party needs to get the country to ‘love Nigel Farage again’ – and that’s a big problem for the party, as political editor David Maddox explains:
Farage is loved by some but hated by more – now even Reform can see it
Larry the cat laps up affection from French journalists during Macron meeting
12:04 , Harriette Boucher
Who is Jordan Bardella? The far-right French party president speaking at Reform's conference
11:58 , Harriette BoucherThe president of a far-right French party is lined up to speak at Reform’s party conference tomorrow.
Jordan Bardella, 30, is a member of the European Parliament and leader of National Rally, which is described as a populist and nationalist right-wing party.
Nigel Farage met with the leader in London last year to speak about small boat crossings and energy policy.
Ahead of the meeting, Mr Bardella told BBC he believed the “extremely resilient” Mr Farage would become the UK's next prime minister.
The Reform leader had previously kept his distance from the party, with Mr Bardella acknowledging that Mr Farage “may have been harsh” towards his party in the past.
“But that's politics - you're allowed to evolve,” he said. “My political party has also evolved, even in its name.”
Badenoch slams Reform for barring journalists from conference
11:45 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Whitehall Correspondent Kate Devlin writes:
Nigel Farage’s party has banned a number of journalists, including the hack who revealed his £5m donation, from its annual conference in Birmingham.
The Tory leader slammed the practise as she was asked about it at a press conference: “We would not do similar. The Conservatives believe in free speech,” she said.
Another journalist claims to have been denied entry to Reform conference
11:42 , Harriette BoucherJenrick’s £100bn savings claim met with scepticism by leading economist
11:37 , Harriette BoucherThe Independent’s Political editor David Maddox writes:
Robert Jenrick’s claim that a Reform government would slash £100bn of public spending in its first 100 days has been met with scepticism by a leading economic expert.
Stephen Millard, deputy director for macroeconomics and forecasting at the National Institute of Economic and Social Research (NIESR), said: “I’d be highly sceptical about the claim that gilt rates would fall to French levels if Reform were elected, particularly given that rather than reducing the debt Jenrick is talking about tax cuts.
“As to the remaining £70bn, we’ll need to see the details in his speech on Saturday. That said, I would note that cuts to net zero spending are not what we need at this time - summers are only going to get hotter. Foreign aid has already been cut substantially and further cuts may worsen our standing in the world.
“I’m also not sure that forcing the long-term unemployed to work for their benefits is something we should be considering. And what about defence spending: will Reform increase it up to the level recommended by the defence review and if so where will the money for that come from?”
Burnham 'kicking defence spending into the long grass'
11:36 , Harriette BoucherAndy Burnham is “kicking defence spending into the long grass”, Kemi Badenoch has said, as she announced Tory plans to push the figure to 3 per cent of GDP by 2030.
She pointed to the threat from hostile states like Russia and Iran as well as other countries that are boosting defence spending, including Poland and Germany.
“Conflict is coming, we must act now,” she told a press conference.
Mrs Badenoch said 3 per cent spending by 2030 is needed and “anything after that is too late”.
“Andy Burnham is kicking defence spending into the long grass.
“Our enemies are not going to sit around and wait for Labour to find the money to fight them.”
She said Mr Burnham should call a general election if he is not willing to find the money now, adding: “The Prime Minister cannot defend us by capping bus fares.”
Reform welfare cut promises based on 'fantasy', economist says
11:32 , Harriette BoucherReform UK’s promise to cut £100bn in public spending is based on “fantasy”, an economist has warned.
Jonathan Portes has criticised Robert Jenrick’s claim that his party would slash £50bn from welfare, cut another £20-30bn from other departments and reduce debt interest by £28bn.
The treasury spokesman told The Telegraph that the savings would fund tax cuts, saying: “We won’t make the same mistake as Rachel Reeves.”
Mr Portes has casted doubt on the claims, saying: “Reform promised to copy Trump and Musk by saving billions from government waste. The result was chaos and little or no savings.
“Based on what we know of Reform's plans the likelihood is that we would see much the same here.
“In particular their plans for large welfare savings without touching pensions are fantasy -their numbers don't come close to adding up.”
Burnham and Macron to discuss migration, Russia, and Strait of Hormuz
11:26 , Harriette BoucherFrench president Emmanuel Macron has arrived at No 10 for talks with Andy Burnham.
The two leaders are expected to discuss challenges facing the UK and France, Downing Street said, including migration, trade and energy, and “Russia’s ongoing aggression in Ukraine and the situation in the Strait of Hormuz.”
Mr Burnham, King Charles and Queen Camilla met with the french president last night for the unveiling of the Bayeux Tapestry.
Macron arrives at Downing Street for talks with Burnham
11:19 , Harriette Boucher
Russia ‘will not attack’ a strong country, Badenoch says
11:15 , Harriette BoucherWhitehall correspondent Kate Devlin writes:
The Tory leader warned that the UK needs “to be strong” to protect itself against growing Russian aggression.
Vladimir Putin “will not attack” a strong country, she said.
“We need to be strong. If you want peace, you prepare for war”.
Kemi Badenoch says the UK could be at war with Russia within four years
11:09 , Harriette BoucherWhitehall correspondent Kate Devlin writes:
The Conservative leader said that within the next four years “the UK could be at war” with Russia.
It came as she set out how her party plans to reach its target to spend 3% of GDP on defence, if it wins the next general election.
“People may not see it in their day to day lives by hostile states are constantly pushing the boundaries”, she told a press conference in London.
“If things come to a head, all of our lives will be changed forever”.
What's happening at Reform's conference today?
11:00 , Harriette Boucher
Revealed: Reform rakes in £20m in donations from crypto investors
10:47 , Harriette BoucherExclusive: Crypto has become a major source of funding for Nigel Farage’s party, accounting for nearly 60 per cent of its total donations since 2024
Revealed: Reform rakes in £20m in donations from crypto investors
Watch: Nigel Farage sworn in as MP for Clacton
10:38 , Harriette BoucherThree-course meal and champagne with Farage: What £3,000 gets you at Reform's conference
10:27 , Harriette BoucherSupporters of Reform have been offered the chance to sip champagne with Nigel Farage at his party’s conference this week.
The “platinum pass”, which costs £3,000 + VAT per person, is the most expensive and exclusive ticket for the conference, and offers access to the party’s “key players, senior leadership team and MPs.
“At the centre of the Platinum experience is our extraordinary bespoke 20m × 10m double-deck hospitality structure—the largest B-Matrix stand of its kind in Europe.
“This impressive, purpose-built space will provide Platinum guests with a luxurious environment in which to meet, network, dine and relax away from the main conference floor while remaining at the centre of the action,” the party said.
Ticket holders will get an exclusive champagne breakfast attended by Nigel Farage on Saturday, a three-course meal with senior figures, and “high-level networking” opportunities.
The cheapest tickets for the conference are £25 for under-25 members, while general access is £50.
Reform to unveil its plan for first 100 days in government
10:06 , Harriette BoucherReform will unveil its plan for its first 100 days in government if it is elected at the party conference today.
The conference is kicking off with its first ever “business day”, which includes a full day of “business-focused sessions, fringe events and panel discussions” with around 1,000 business delegates.
Richard Tice told Sky News: “This is our business day, our first of three days....There is well over 5,000 people expected hearing our plans for the first 100 days of a Reform UK government.
“Britain's broken, it needs fixing, it needs business like people, with a can-do, positive constructive attitude.”
Mr Tice said his party would be discussing how to reduce taxes, limit regulations on small businesses, and reinvigorate city centres among other things.
Addressing their 18-month low approval rating, he told Talk TV: “Polls go up and down. If you look every week at the council by-elections, we are consistently getting more votes than our national average.”
Journalist who revealed £5M donation among three barred from Reform conference
09:40 , Harriette BoucherReform has barred at least three journalists from its conference in Birmingham today, all of whom have reported negatively of the party and its leader.
The Guardian’s City editor, Anna Isaac, who first revealed that Mr Farage accepted an undeclared £5m gift from Christopher Harborne, was among those not given accreditation.
Investigative reporter Peter Geoghegan, who authors newsletter Democracy for Sale, and broadcaster Michael Crick also had their applications declined.
Reform told The Guardian that Mr Geoghegan and Mr Crick were refused accreditation because the party viewed them as minor figures.
The party did not say why Ms Isaac was exluded.
Mr Geoghegan said his accreditation was denied five minutes after he published a story claiming Isabel Oaskeshott had privately called Reform mega donor Christopher Harborne “untrustworthy”.
British journalist Ms Oakeshott, whose partner is Reform MP Richard Tice, wrote on X: “More than 1000 journalists successfully applied for accreditation for @reformparty_uk party conference.
“Of three rejects, one broke the law; another has only one agenda; and the third is not a journalist. This is a non story.”
Majority of Britons believe Reform is untrustworthy - poll
09:12 , Harriette BoucherAround six in ten Britons believe Reform is an untrustworthy party, serving their own interests, prejudiced and extreme, a YouGov poll has found.
A survey ahead of the party’s conference today revealed that 56 per cent of people also saw the party as incompetent and caring only about a select few rather than caring about ordinary people.
When Britons were asked to describe Nigel Farage in their own words, some 71 per cent used at least one negative term, with the most frequent being accusations that the leader is a racist, used by 15 per cent of those surveyed, or a liar, used by 12 per cent.
Meanwhile, 27 per cent use at least one positive term to describe Mr Farage, with his perceived patriotism (5 per cent) and honesty (4 per cent) being the top compliments paid to him.
Some 19 per cent of Britons feel that he looks like a prime minister in waiting, down seven points since June.
Analysis: Beleaguered Reform are hoping for a big reset this week
08:38 , Harriette BoucherPolitical editor David Maddox writes:
After dominating British politics for most of the last two years, Reform UK arrive in Birmingham with a myriad of problems.
Nigel Farage’s party is no longer leading in the polls and in one case was even pushed into third place behind the Tories.
Their pitch to the country that they are the inevitable next government has already come apart.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage has looked tired and angry over pressure on donations he received which has led to an ongoing investigations by the standards commissioner.
Reform believe there is some sort of establishment plot against them and have even banned some journalists from attending the conference in Birmingham. But they are lacking in policies, have question marks over the depth of their talent and are now up against a new Labour leader and prime minister in Andy Burnham who has shown he can take them on.
The deputy leader Richard Tice has said that the aim this week is to get the country to “love Nigel Farage again.”
The bigger problem is that while Mr Farage is adored by some he is hated by many more and is arguably the most divisive figure in politics.
Added to that a new party on the right - Restore Britain led by former Reform MP Ruper Lowe - is eating away at Mr Farage’s core support.
Support for Reform at 18-month low
08:35 , Harriette BoucherReform has fallen to their lowest performance in opinion polls in more than 18 months amid intense scrutiny over undeclared donations to its leader.
Nigel Farage’s party will now be looking to regain support at the party conference on Thursday after sliding into third place.
The new More in Common voting intention poll puts the party at 22 per cent, with Tories in second place at 23 per cent, and Labour in the lead on 26 per cent.
It is the party’s lowest approval rating since January 2025.
Farage warned he could face stiffer penalty after claiming probe into £5m crypto donation is rigged
08:25 , Harriette BoucherNigel Farage has been warned that he could receive a “stiffer penalty” after he claimed that the result of an inquiry into his undeclared £5m donation from a crypto billionaire is rigged against him.
The leader of Reform UK has just returned to parliament after winning a by-election he called in his Clacton constituency in protest at the Commons’ standards inquiry against him over the donation from Christopher Harborne.
He suggested to the BBC that he would not get a fair hearing on whether he broke parliamentary rules for failing to declare the cash, because the MPs on the committee have already prejudged him as guilty.
He told the BBC: “Well, I mean, that investigation, the outcome. Have you seen who is on the committee? I think we know the outcome already.”
But former Labour deputy leader Baroness Harriet Harman, who chaired the Privileges Committee inquiry into the Boris Johnson Partygate scandal where the former prime minister received a stiffer penalty for his attacks on the process, warned Mr Farage could face the same fate, if he is found to have breached the rules.
Farage warned he could face ‘stiffer penalty’ after attack on £5m donation inquiry
Farage looks to play down donations questions as party conference begins
08:24 , Harriette BoucherNigel Farage will use his party’s conference to try and shake off scrutiny surrounding undeclared donations to Reform and reverse sliding poll ratings.
The party’s largest annual conference is kicking off in Birmingham on Thursday and comes just two days after the leader was sworn in after being re-elected as Clacton MP.
His return to parliament has reopened the probe into his undeclared £5M resignation from Christopher Harborne.
It also comes as Reform slid into third place in the opinion polls in its lowest performance in 18 months.
