Farage seeks to reposition Reform UK ahead of possible election, amid funding probe and Trump ties
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Reform UK leader Nigel Farage used a Birmingham conference to promote a migration pact with France’s Jordan Bardella and to distance himself from Donald Trump, while his party deals with a funding investigation involving senior aides.
Nigel Farage told delegates at Reform UK’s Birmingham conference that the party is prepared to contest a national election he expects within months. He and French politician Jordan Bardella signed a memorandum of understanding to curb small-boat crossings of the English Channel, a move Farage presented as evidence of his ability to negotiate internationally.
The event was clouded by a scandal after a Channel 4 investigation suggested policy chief James Orr had attempted to secure illicit foreign funding for polling. Orr and another aide have stepped down pending a police inquiry, and Farage said the party had broken no laws.
Farage also appeared to distance himself from U.S. President Donald Trump, who has been a frequent reference point in his past speeches. At the conference he made no mention of Trump and instead highlighted cooperation with Bardella, even indicating he might address the audience in French.
Research presented by the More in Common think-tank indicated that a segment of Reform’s base is uneasy about Trump’s influence, particularly regarding his stance on Ukraine and the conflict in Iran. The think-tank’s analyst, Luke Tryl, said the party may need a “distancing exercise” from Trump-related policies to retain swing voters who are socially conservative but economically moderate.
“There is a core of Reform voters for whom there is a Trump problem,” Tryl told the meeting.
“Iran really further damaged Trump, and the angriest I’ve seen a group of Reform voters was over the Oval Office treatment of President Zelenskyy,” he added.
Farage’s focus on the Franco-British migration agreement and the absence of any Trump references suggested an effort to reshape his image ahead of a potential election.