Nigel Farage has declared he will stand to be a Reform MP as he takes over as Reform leader from Richard Tice. The Mail has more.
The Brexit champion announced the U-turn at a press conference alongside previous leader Richard Tice.
As well as taking the helm of the party, he dropped the bombshell saying that he will run for Parliament in Clacton.
Mr. Farage said he was back “for the next five years” – making clear he wants to dismantle the Tories “when they are in Opposition” after the election.
He said “not on your nelly” would he do an electoral deal with the Conservatives, predicting that Reform would win more votes.
It is a huge headache for Mr. Sunak as he tries to claw back ground on Labour. A Redfield & Wilton Strategies poll this evening put the Tories on 20% backing, only six points ahead of Reform and a massive 26 points behind Keir Starmer’s party.
Mr. Farage acknowledged that it would be “very difficult” to win from scratch in a constituency.
But he said since the snap election was called he had been talking to people on the streets and observed that “there is a rejection of the political class going on in this country in a way that has not been seen in modern times”.
“I rationally thought this was too difficult. I’ve changed my mind because I can’t let down millions of people,” he said.
“Nothing in this country works… we will only recover our position with boldness,” he said. “I’ve done it before, I’ll do it again: I will surprise everybody.”
Explaining his change of heart, Mr. Farage said: “The other thing that really shook me in a way last week were the number of people coming up to me in the street saying ‘Nigel, why aren’t you standing?'”
Richard Tice began the press conference by announcing he was handing over the reins:
How do we turn on the rocket boosters, the turbo chargers, to this campaign? As people know, I wanted Nigel to be able to give as much energy and effort, commitment to this campaign, as he felt able to do. I thought well actually, what I really want to do is to invite Nigel Farage to become leader of Reform U.K.
Explaining his change of mind, Farage said:
Now I stood here, a week ago, and I said look, hands up. I’ve been nonplussed by Rishi calling a short-term election, it doesn’t give me the time to find a constituency, doesn’t give me the time to build up data.
I thought the rational thing to do was not to stand but to do my bit as supporting the party around the country, and for the last week, that is what I’ve been doing. I’ve been travelling all around the country. I’ve had the honour of appearing with Piers Morgan on Question Time amongst other things.
I’ve decided I’ve changed my mind. It’s allowed you know. It’s not always a sign of weakness, it could potentially be a sign of strength.
He added:
Richard is more than happy for me to put my head and shoulders firmly over the parapet and take the flack. So I’m coming back as leader of Reform U.K., but not just for this election campaign. I’m coming back for the next five years.
So our aim in this election is to get many, many millions of votes. And I’m talking far more votes than you got back in 2015 when we when we got four million votes. We’re going to get many, many, many more votes than that.
How many seats in Parliament? Can we win under this system? Well, that’s another matter. And that depends on what momentum we can get from here.
A former Tory Cabinet Minister told the Telegraph that Farage standing as an MP for Reform is “bad news for both major parties, but sadly worse news for the Conservatives”.
This will bring new impetus to the Reform campaign. Farage is arguably the most recognisable figure in British politics apart from the Prime Minister and Boris Johnson. He is an insurgent and will attract votes.
This is bad news for both major parties, but sadly worse news for the Conservatives.
Matthew Goodwin says this is Nigel Farage’s “finest hour” and there are several “open goals” for him in an election campaign that so far has been as “dull as dishwater”:
The palpable anti-Westminster mood. The genuine panic about how to afford life. The creeping sense of despair about mass immigration. The intense anger about our broken borders. The spiralling concern about lawlessness and crime. The rising fear about a dark new sectarianism. The visible erosion of British values and ways of life – particularly since October 7th. And, on top of all that, the deep, unyielding sense of pessimism about where all this is heading – about where this country of ours is heading, about where this place we call home is heading. …
Farage has realised this; many other politicians have not. He has grasped that many people want to have a very different kind of conversation about where we are heading as a society; they have not. He might be criticised by broadcast interviewers and BBC newsreaders as “inflammatory” and at times he certainly is; but already in the opening days of this campaign he’s tapped into this much deeper sense of unease among the British people, this legitimate sense of unease, about what is now unfolding before them.
Can Britain – our shared history, collective memory, identity, values, and ways of life – actually survive in a form that we recognise, respect and want to pass down to our children and their children? How can a national community hold itself together while undergoing unprecedented demographic change, persistent economic decline, and a ruling elite that routinely downplays or derides, rather than defend, who we are?
And who out there, exactly, is willing to push back, seriously, against the growing assortment of radicals and extremists who very clearly loathe who we are, who have no interest in respecting our ways of life? Nigel Farage does not have the answers to these questions. But he is at least willing to talk openly about them. And that in itself gives him an enormous opening.
Stop Press: Can Farage win in Clacton? In 2014, after defecting to UKIP, Douglas Carswell triggered a by-election in Clacton and won. He contested the seat for UKIP in 2015 and won again with 19,642 votes. He was replaced as the UKIP candidate by Paul Oakley in 2017, who only polled 3,357 votes and lost to Giles Watling, the Conservative candidate, who polled 27,031, then held the seat two years later with 31,438. However, the consensus of pollsters, such as James Johnson, is that Farage will win. That’s also the view of the bookies.
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Sunak will be relieved as it probably makes an unlikely outcome (Tories hang on to power maybe via a coalition) almost impossible.
I disagree, it makes a certain hung Parliament more certain and Reform will be part of it. Look around you and nobody really wants Red or Blue Socialism, Socialism was massively rejected in 2019. There is only one real choice and we are going to take votes, seats do not so much matter, off both parties.
The aim here is long-term change. Reform are not going to win the election but they are going to Reform things. The Socialist parties are going to have to change if they want to survive. 5 million votes when we last stood, how about 10-15 million this time? Even a repeat of 5 means they have to change.
Well I hope you are right but on the basis that Reform will eat into the Tory vote more, I am not sure that you are. We shall see, soon. I wrote to my local Reform candidate to ask his views on “Covid” – no answer. So I will most likely vote Heritage.
Yes, that’s right, vote for the Jamaican Heritage Party led by an Ethnic African. That will help Ethnic Africans in Britain. (sarc off)
“Reform would also hold a public inquiry into both excess deaths and Covid vaccine harms after figures from the statistics watchdog showed thousands more people died in 2023 than expected.”
‘Zero tolerance’ policing and tackling ‘woke madness’: Reform UK’s pledges at a glance (msn.com)
Their leader was an early opponent of lockdowns
So?
In my book that counts for a great deal
Yes he went on demos at the start but I did not see him later on. When I tried to talk to him seemed more interested in himself rather than trying to cooperate with others. His broadcasts since October 7 very concerning firstly trying to remove the Judaeo part of our Judaeo-Christian culture and then going on from that with what could seem to be giving support to Hamas etc.
I would think many politicians like talking about themselves. There are so many pressing issues that I don’t think UK political parties should be campaigning on their stance regarding the Israel business.
Opposing lockdowns when it was extremely unfashionable to do so demonstrates good instincts and a willingness to go against the current.
Well, I am right I reckon, maybe not, but the real point to take away from this is that you will not be voting Blue or Red. That is important and it is something we all should be aware of. Any vote which is not for them is a vote for change, a vote for physical Reform.
Let us imagine that Labour win on 20% of the population and Reform get one seat with almost the same number of votes. Even Starmer can’t ignore that forever. If memory serves correctly most elections have been won on 27%, that cannot be allowed to continue.
I think you are daft voting Heritage but am extremely pleased at the same time.
I’m astonished that anyone would want to vote for LibLabConGreen and their Welsh and Scottish allies, after convid. I hope I live to witness a sea-change in the voters relationship with the government and people’s attitude to the state and its proper role, but I am not holding my breath
I read in their manifesto they want to look
into excess deaths and vaccine harms. My constituency’s local Reform candidate is very much anti-lockdown.
Thanks
I guess you could argue it’s a start but it’s too little too late – lockdowns should have been condemned from the beginning, there was no public health emergency, no deadly pandemic, and the “vaccines” should never have got past trial stage
My local Reform candidate was given the opportunity to explain his views and has ignored me
Who on earth would be daft enough to join a coalition with the Tories. Ah, I see whgat you mean – Ed Davey would and the parties’ policies would fit like a glove; Cameron-Clegg mark two.
No. Ain’t going to happen. Sunak is toast.
Is Sunak a double agent?
It’s the only explanation for his behaviour.
Well Fishy is definitely working for the Davos Deviants that’s for sure and he truly CGAF about this country or its people.
He is a traitorous Next Tuesday.
This is NEWS. ———-Nigel, Net Zero must go. But the political class of the entire western world will come after you even harder that they did with Trump when he withdrew from the Paris Agreement. The right of centre must unite behind the only party saying they will blow up Net Zero —REFORM. Every aspect of peoples lives are at stake.——Prosperity, health life span, and fundamental to that is affordable energy. Net Zero gives us all unaffordable energy and it does so deliberately. Because it all part of the UN world government aspirations that declare the lifestyles of us all in the wealthy west are “too high”. ——-If we want to retain our standard of living then Net Zero must go and Farage and Reform are the only political party claiming they will do that.
One of the things Nigel pointed out was that the politics of Europe is undergoing change and it may be a completely different landscape in a week’s time.
Pretty vague word that “change”. I know what Farage means but I wish Politicians would stop saying dumb meaningless things like “VOTE FOR CHANGE”.
At least Reform have, on their website, a list of what Change means. As a member you can even influence what will be in the manifesto. It’s been there for months. Starmer and Sunak are writing theirs on long ago discarded fag packets from the rubbish dump of failed policies.
Yes, it sounds like my Universal Mission Statement in the days of GP Fundholding, applicable to everything from Anti-Litter to the Illuminati: “Working Together For Change.”
Europe is trending to the right, and to right thinking people.
Removal of Net Zero and all the associated tax is already in the manifesto proposal. Go on the website and look.
Yes, it’s astonishing how few people actually bother to look up the Reform Party policies on their website. As you know, Richard Tice has campaigned against Net Zero for years, calling it “Net Stupid”.
You are having a laugh are you not? ——Read my comment above that Richard Austin is replying to. I am well aware that Reform say they will abolish Net Zero, which is one of the main reasons they will likely have my vote.
Gosh, pardon me if I don’t always take time to read your numerous posts on every article, at least 12 on this one, which is about your average.
I think the DS should limit everyone to no more than 3 comments on each article, and to stay on topic, in order to encourage new people to venture forth, such as the 1000 new members from Scotland, and not be overwhelmed by the Same Ruling Handful who are on here all day, every day, covering every page with their views.
If people have a news item they want to discuss, why not email it to the News Round-Up, as suggested by the editors?
If you read my comment you will see I already know that. I stated in my comment that Reform are the only party saying they will remove Net Zero. ——-I am not critical of Reform in the least. The opposite is true.
you are right, the EU mandarins will now go into full attack mode along with the MSM, and of course the Conservatives, the 77th will no doubt be brought in, and I wouldn’t even be surprised if as the Democrats have done with Trump, if they don’t manufacture some dirt on him in the hope it will stick. They are frightened now, the chance of losing power and all the controls over us they have achieved since the co ordinated plandemic, and agenda 2030 are at risk, the Corporations will hate him as their influence and ability to make lots and lots of money through the Politicians they own is at risk.
Hold onto your hats and hold your nerve kids its going to be a bumpy ride.
He gets my vote btw
I hope George Galloway enters from the left to take seats from Labour as well.
I hope Galloway takes his three Muslim wives to his favourite Muslim country, and stays there.
Yes a bumpier ride than a Roller Coaster on the Moon. I am totally aware that the Pretend to Save the Planet Machine and all the vested interests farming trillions in government subsidies for their Renewable heaps of junk will go straight into attack mode
I don’t get this “worse for the Tories” nonsense; who did most people in the Red Wall vote for in 2019? So why does everyone seem to think us thickos up here are just going to go back like errant Sheep? Note: I haven’t voted Labour since I was 18 and I’m 62 now and grew out of stupidity at 19.
Reform mean real change. Farage coming back means we will get heard. Any other vote is, quite frankly, as much use to you as jumping off a cliff and Wokely shouting “I self-identify as a Lemming …….”. Thud.
I take your point about the Red Wall. Perhaps in London and the Home Counties where more Labour voters seem to be metropolitan middle class liberals it will be different
Probably yes but the point I’m making is that there is an assumption, by people who do not even know where we are, that we all vote Labour and wear flat caps. In Wakefield a Tory MP was elected in 2019. The Red Wall was exploded. Why would we all rebuild it because of a thief and an antisemitic two-faced bastard who thinks women have willies?
I would not these days assume that. From the people I know locally and work with, most of the middle class comfortably off people vote non-Tory and most of the working class people I know (mainly white British and employed) are more right wing.
I wear a flat cap. I love them, especially when it’s cold.
ee op chuck
😀 😀 😀
Vote with conviction. Net Zero is my most important concern as it a serious threat to prosperity. Immigration, Wokery etc come next in line. The political class of Con/Lab are just a pincer movement of phony planet saving bilge.
I saw a fair bit of the announcement on GBN this afternoon. We’ll see how the residents of Clacton make of it. The internal organisation of the “Reform” Party is evidently somewhat volatile, and it will be interesting to see how it grows up. It could be that it diverts attention from elsewhere, which might benefit others.
Yes indeed, on Net-Zero alone I will vote reform albeit with a large peg on my nose. They are many miles from Utopia but they annoy all the others and so must be worth a look. There was a conservative lady on the news saying do not vote for reform as it will just let labour in, I understand the logic but it makes a nonsense of any idea of democracy.
I also hear this “it will just let Labour in”. ——-But actually don’t the Tories deserve a good thrashing for their betrayal and for morphing into Labour Lite?
As Nigel said, ‘Labour has already won the election’ because most voters can’t stand the idea of the failed Tories being in government for another minute.
He wants Reform to be the opposition to Labour in the HoC. So cries of ‘letting Labour in’ are silly nonsense coming from desperate Tories who haven’t understood the writing on the wall.
In 2016, Leave won because working class people voted for it and in 2019 Boris won with Red Wall votes because of his Brexit promises. He and his successors threw those Red Wall votes away, but Leavers haven’t forgotten Labour Remainiacs striving to get a 2nd Referendum, or Labour idiots welcoming illegal invaders.
Many of the w/c ex-Labour, ex-Tory disillusioned voters will vote Reform now that Nigel is leader. He makes jibbering Sunak and insipid Starmer look like clueless clowns in an enemedia circus.
Hooray! Here are some great comments from Daily Mail readers. As one said, “Buckle up, folks. This is going to be fun!” 🙂
— Yes!!! I am delighted!! Only chance this country has got to get back on its feet!!! Come on Nigel
— This is a call to arms for the people of Clacton, vote for Nigel.
— Flipper the Dolphin is swimming to Clacton as we speak! 🙂
— Would be fantastic if he could be our next PM
— Finally someone worth voting for
— I’m in . Family in . Go Nigel !!
— Great announcement Nigel
— Just what this country needs someone to have pride in our country and not afraid to stand up and be counted. Go for it Nigel, the people are sick of the two main parties.
— Go on Nigel, make Britain great again!
— There was nothing ‘ tetchy’ about Nigel’s response …his speech was fantastic and his answers were realistic and balanced.
— Finally! A political party that is not subscribed to the globalist WEF 2030, climate change doomsayer, identity politics mantra. Just a normal party, focused on British issues.
— Hallelujah! The Brits now have a chance to survive.
— The wokerati will be having a fit. This has finally convinced me to vote Reform. The way he handled the MSM today shows he won’t take any nonsense from anyone. Buckle up folks, this is going to be fun!
— Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The Tories are done for and Labour will lose some of their lead. A political revolt is coming and the Only Way is Essex!
— The next two elections are going to be marvellous fun with Farage back in the game.
— We need a party to stand up for the natives of this country or we are doomed. Seriously, what have we to lose voting for reform?
— Great news! Farage is a true British patriot!
— Now I have more confidence in voting Reform – excellent news!
— Gets my vote, breath of fresh air.
— Wonderful news. At last we have an alternative.
— Make that man Prime Minister now!!!
Heretic, I share your enthusiasm and think Nigel has a good chance in Clacton. I campaigned there for UKIP when Tory MP Douglas Carswell defected to and won the election for UKIP.
It was a satisfying campaign because many people thought Carswell was right to defect, showing that they were true Leavers and liked Nigel Farage.
The mess created by the Tories in the years since then, courtesy of Cameron resigning, Theresa May failing, Boris throwing it away, Truss just hitting the ground, Sunak struggling to convince anyone including himself, and we’re still in the ECJ & ECHR . . .
The Tories need putting out of their misery – it’s only humane.
Oh well done for campaigning for UKIP! You are right about the Tories, and people should remember that there is no law in Britain or anywhere that says we “must” have a Tory party. Let’s just do away with them altogether, and try something new.
Tice was a pro vaxxer and against us sceptics in that regard.
Wouldn’t trust him as far as I could throw him.
As I recall Farage was jabbed but was against vax mandates.
For me it’s all about the history of the various parties attitude to jabs, and the concurrent WHO/WEF/Blair Fascists.
All of them ignore the Elephant in the room.
In fact it’s as though the last 4 years never happened.
So, F^^^ them all.
This is my take, too.
But then a little part of me says I should participate in the best charade in town, and vote. For Reform.
Not promising I won’t just spoil my vote, though. I don’t like any politicians. Farage is just another politician.
Have you got a comfy cushion to put on your fence?
Can’t blame anyone who got jabbed, as I took it myself because I had an expensive holiday booked. But I have learned my lesson
I have always been half-hearted about reform with Tice at the helm, but I am now a whole-hearted supporter.
Good overview here, looking at all the polls and now taking Nigel Farage into account;
”There have been a number of MRP’s released in the last few weeks putting the Tories as low at 66 seats and as high as 140 seats. What is clear from all of the polling is that Labour are getting over 400 seats unless Reform and the Tories do a deal.
If a deal isn’t struck, especially with the Farage bounce, I suspect both parties will get about the same number of votes i.e. 5-7 million and Labour will romp home with 10-12 million votes.
I’ve always said that a Starmer government with 330-350 seats would have to rein in their most radical proposals and they would be unlikely to last a five year term. I have used this as justification to vote Conservative in an attempt to reduce Starmer’s majority and therefore reduce his ability to be quite so radical in government.
However, whether Starmer has 400 or 500 MP’s doesn’t make a whole load of difference. 400 is more than enough to get all of the most radical parts of a Labour agenda through Parliament e.g. wealth tax, land value tax, pension raids, votes for non-citizens, Gaza refugees, etc.
Which means there is really no need for an opposition and we conservatives get something of a free vote. And if Reform UK get within 1-2 million votes of the Tories it will force the two parties to do a post-election deal and it is likely that Farage will be an MP at that stage and therefore able to lead the post-election conservative revolution.
What scares me about a Labour government and why I pray Farage does a pre-election deal is that Labour will pass votes for 16 and 17yr olds and for EU citizens which would add 6.5 million voters to the electoral rolls and would secure a return to the EU and a generation of Labour in No.10 regardless of what comes of the Tories and Reform after the election.”
https://worldbywolf.substack.com/p/the-conservative-dilemma?r=2nzgpi&utm_medium=ios&triedRedirect=true
400 is more than enough to get all of the most radical parts of a Labour agenda through Parliament e.g […] votes for non-citizens […] What scares me about a Labour government […] is that Labour will pass votes […] for EU citizens
This dingbat should perhaps spend some time studying UK election law. At the moment, pretty much everyone born anywhere on this planet who’s legally in the UK has full voting rights here (specifically, all citizens of Commonwealt countries do). That’s all these ‘global majority’ and muslim people who keep making noises about themselves. But this obviously mustn’t ever be extended to legally resident white people. Everyone knows they’re evil!
Good points but I really think you are wrong. For Labour to get a majority they need people to believe in, and trust, them on a greater scale than Blair achieved. That is simply not going to happen. Most who vote Labour will not really want to do so. Who, in their right mind, would want to do so?
It will be a hung Parliament and that is why your vote for Reform matters. We will be in the position the LibDims were in 2010: we can force real change. We just need 3-5 seats.
More than ever before your vote counts.
Not me, ‘Rich’. I merely shared somebody’s article. Chuck a few fancy graphs in and I’m anybody’s.💁♀️
Anyway, there’s something different about you. Don’t tell me, don’t tell me….🤔
You’ve had your hair done, haven’t you?👍💇♂️ Makes you come across a bit more formal.😉🤫
Mogs, you can be so cruel. 😀
I will be voting Reform, but as I mentioned to you before when I see politicians on TV saying things like “if you want change” or “The people want change” etc it is vomit inducing. I don’t want anyone I vote for using those meaningless silly slogans. ——-I know you think Reform indicate in their Manifesto what that “change” will mean, and I have read what they say. —–I am looking forward to what people who don’t need silly slogans like Ben Habib and Nigel Farage have to say that means something.
Canny
I think Labour have a lot to worry about as well. Now they are threatened by Galloway’s workers party on their left but also now Reform from the center/right.
Good point, Galloway could well steal the Muslim vote from Labour.
There are plenty of muslims who are deserting Labour for their own candidates. If Labour manage to form a government it will be their last one. Ever.
Blair’s Labour used “Things can only get better” as their anthem, I suggest Reform use The Who’s “Won’t get fooled again”
For Parliament I’ll take SAXON Ministry Of Fools.
I give up. I’ve now decided to start renting out crowns. People can enjoy wearing them for a few weeks before they have to put their usual clobber on, bow down, and start wiping the sh”t off their masters shoes again. It’s going to be a very profitable business.
I suppose it would be reasonable to expect the Tories to be much much more compliant with election regulations and expenses than they were when they defeated Nigel Farage in Thanet. There it was palpable on the streets they had over spent, but their election returns did not admit it.
At by-elections up and down the country there have been strange surges in postal votes in favour of the winning old party which might otherwise have lost against Farage’s parties.
I wonder if Nigel’s late declaration will prevent spoiler candidates.
I doubt there will be any shortage of helpers at Clacton!
Fraudulent expenses amongst the LibLabCon Uniparty is endemic but Elcom is useless, or useless and corrupt.
I would vote for him. I voted for Labour from the 80’s until Bliar and the neo-liberals took over the Labour party. Lately I spoil my vote in protest. Voting in the UK has become like the choice of being shot or stabbed. Labour and cons are representatives of the WEF, not the British people. They are corrupt to the core. The enemy of my enemy is my friend.
Can you imagine Nigel Farage in Donald Trumps position? At every hearing the prosecution would fall fast asleep. Upon waking the judge and jury would say “Whatever, whatever. Just give him what he wants and get him out of here.” But, having said that who else can save Britain?
If he can get a couple of MP’s, it’s a foot in the door. Nigel in the den of snakes would be like a fox in the henhouse. Very entertaining.