I was in the room when Nigel Farage unveiled his top team – Keir Starmer should be worried
Reform UK has entered a new chapter as it accelerates its drive to win power and point Britain in a brand new direction
Reform UK delights in putting on a show. Westminster is in a state of slumber as MPs enjoy a mini-recess, so Nigel Farage’s party turned on neon blue spotlights and made headlines. Traditionally, a press conference is not a moment for razzmatazz, but Reform delights in drama. The party hired a giant room in the heart of the nerve centre of the Church of England, Church House.
Five lecterns were set out on raised circular platforms. It looked like a science-fiction set, perhaps for a film where a team of Avengers assemble to be dispatched on a era-defining mission. The titles on the lectern said it all: Shadow Chancellor of the Exchequer; Shadow Home Secretary; Shadow Business, Trade and Energy Secretary; Shadow Education and Skills Secretary.
Reform’s message is abundantly clear. The party does not want to be seen as the Nigel Farage Show or a Tory tribute band. They consider themselves the real Opposition to Labour and they are intent on seizing power.
Nigel Farage has unveiled the team who will take the party into a new chapter (Image: Getty Images)
A giant projection displayed the Houses of Parliament. Taking control of this institution is the goal for this insurgent party.
Reform has flourished as a party of protest. People who are fed up with the traditional parties of power have jumped at the chance to throw punches at both Labour and the Tories by voting for Reform – and Mr Farage will hope that May’s local elections and the contest for the Scottish and Welsh parliaments see people once again flock to Reform.
But to be granted the responsibility of running the country in 2029, Reform needs to be more than a protest party. It wants you to trust it to oversee the education of our children, to keep the lights on and clean water coming out of your tap, and to deter the country’s foes from launching attacks.
The unveiling of the shadow team is much more than a stunt in recess. It is a moment of evolution.
The gang of four – Nigel Farage has chosen three men and one woman in his ‘shadow cabinet’ (Image: Getty Images)
The challenge for Reform between now and the next Westminster election is to build a team and craft policies that can command your confidence.
So, do you want Robert Jenrick as Chancellor of the Exchequer, Zia Yusuf as Home Secretary, Richard Tice as Business, Trade and Energy Secretary and Suella Braverman as Shadow Education and Skills Secretary.
It’s been taken as gospel for generations of British politicians that elections are won by tacking to the centre and owning the mainstream of British politics. But their appointment shows Reform has little interest in softening its hard edges.
They are targeting people who want an end to Whitehall diversity efforts, believe the push for net zero is lunacy and who want much, much tougher actions to “stop the boats” and remove illegal migrants.
Mr Farage is heading into not just a round of elections but an ideological battle and he has several of his top lieutenants now in place.
