Nigel Farage, the veteran firebrand of Britain’s political right, is once again at the center of a national storm. At Reform UK’s two-day annual convention, which wrapped up Saturday in Birmingham, Farage delivered a rousing pitch that sounded, to many ears, like an echo of Donald Trump’s most memorable campaign themes. “Our country is in a very bad place,” Farage declared to delegates, as reported by the Associated Press. “We are the last chance the country has got to get this country back on track.”
Farage’s latest gambit is nothing short of audacious: he hopes to ride a wave of populist anger and anti-establishment sentiment all the way to 10 Downing Street. The very idea once seemed far-fetched—even to his allies. But as Reform UK surges in the polls, outpacing both the governing Labour Party and the main opposition Conservatives, the notion of Farage as prime minister is suddenly being taken seriously by supporters and critics alike.
His platform is unmistakably bold. Farage is calling for dramatic cuts to immigration, a tough-on-crime approach, the abandonment of green energy goals, and a revival of British industry to, in his words, “make Britain great again.” According to BBC political analyst John Curtice, if an election were held now, “Reform would be the largest party by far, albeit probably short of an overall majority.” But as Curtice cautioned, “The question hanging over the party is—can they sustain this?”
Farage is no stranger to political disruption. He played a pivotal role in the UK’s departure from the European Union in 2020, and only managed to win a seat in Parliament in 2024 after seven unsuccessful attempts. Reform UK, which began life in 2018 as the Brexit Party, currently holds just four seats in the 650-member House of Commons and garnered about 14% of the national vote in last year’s general election. Yet the party now claims a membership of 240,000 and has led opinion polls for months, according to the Associated Press.
The party’s momentum was on full display in May, when Reform UK seized control of a dozen local authorities in England with a mix of headline-grabbing promises—some, like pledging “a DOGE for every county,” inspired by Elon Musk’s cost-cutting bravado. Farage made the most of Parliament’s summer recess, holding regular news conferences to unveil policies such as a plan to deport everyone who arrives in Britain without authorization. He has capitalized on—some say inflamed—public concern over migrants crossing the English Channel in small boats, describing the situation as an “invasion.” Over the summer, he welcomed protests outside hotels housing asylum-seekers; some of these demonstrations turned violent, drawing sharp criticism from opponents who accuse Farage of demonizing migrants and stoking misinformation.
One particularly fraught episode came last year, when Farage inaccurately suggested that police were withholding information about a stabbing rampage at a dance class that left three children dead. The false claim that the attacker was an asylum-seeker sparked days of rioting across England. Critics argue this is emblematic of Farage’s willingness to play fast and loose with the facts to further his party’s agenda.
Reform UK’s rapid rise has brought new scrutiny and new tests. The party’s success in May’s local elections means it must now demonstrate competence and unity—no easy feat for a group that, until recently, thrived on outsider status. In his closing speech at the Birmingham convention, Farage implored members, “Can we please exercise discipline and air our disagreements between each other in private?”
Farage’s strategy borrows heavily from Trump’s playbook, but not all of his positions translate seamlessly to British politics. For example, his opposition to net-zero climate goals is unpopular in a country where environmental policies enjoy broad support. His past praise of Russian President Vladimir Putin could also prove a liability, especially given Britain’s strong backing for Ukraine in the face of Moscow’s invasion. Meanwhile, Farage’s depiction of Britain as a “crime-ridden dystopia in societal breakdown” has met with skepticism from many quarters.
Farage’s combative style was on display in Washington this week, where he testified before the U.S. House Judiciary Committee about what he called the “awful authoritarian situation” and lack of free speech in the UK. He cited the arrest of TV comedy writer Graham Linehan for tweets attacking transgender people and the jailing of Lucy Connolly, who was sentenced to 31 months in prison for a social media post urging people to burn down hotels full of asylum-seekers. “At what point did we become North Korea?” Farage asked rhetorically. Connolly, who pleaded guilty to inciting racial hatred, was a featured speaker at Reform’s conference.
Farage’s appearance was warmly received by Republicans on the committee, but Democratic Rep. Jamie Raskin lambasted him as a “Putin-loving free speech impostor and Trump sycophant.” Back in London, Prime Minister Keir Starmer noted Farage’s absence from the House of Commons, saying that he had “flown to America to badmouth and talk down our country.”
Reform UK’s rise has left both the Labour and Conservative parties scrambling. Starmer, in particular, has faced criticism for not confronting Reform more forcefully and for using the phrase “island of strangers” in a May speech—a phrase that, to some, evoked Enoch Powell’s infamous 1968 speech on immigration. Starmer later expressed regret for the wording, but the damage was done. Stuart Turnbull-Dugarte, a political scientist at the University of Southampton, observed that Labour’s attempts to address immigration concerns may actually be playing into Reform’s hands, alienating pro-immigration supporters without winning over those opposed to immigration.
The media, too, has been criticized for its role in amplifying Farage’s message. Despite having the same number of lawmakers as Reform UK, the Green Party receives only a fraction of the attention. Yet, as things stand, Reform UK is far ahead in the opinion polls—a remarkable achievement for a party that only recently emerged from the political fringes.
Looking ahead, the UK government is not required to call a general election until 2029. But with instability dogging Starmer’s administration, Farage told supporters on Friday, “There is every chance now of a general election happening in 2027, and we must be ready for that moment.”
For now, the question remains: can Farage and Reform UK maintain their momentum and transform populist anger into real political power? With the stakes so high and the political landscape shifting beneath their feet, Britain’s established parties—and indeed the entire nation—are watching closely to see what happens next.
