They were calling it the “biggest rally in modern political history” and while there has been momentum brewing within Reform UK, this event didn’t even come close to meeting those expectations.
It was their local election launch in Birmingham where the party announced they can field candidates in every possible seat in the elections in May.
Up from the meagre 12% of available seats they managed last time. And that includes mayoral candidates with a new addition on Friday night, Aaron Banks for the West of England seat.
A familiar face for UKIPpers and a major help behind the scenes for Reform UK, drumming up thousands of pounds worth of donations for the party.
In one of the biggest arenas in Birmingham, the production value was high.
Nigel Farage arrived on stage in a JCB accompanied by a live band and greeted with a standing ovation.
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Thousands cheered from the stands at the 15,000 capacity venue, though a lot of empty seats were noticeable.
Image: The Reform UK leader speaks at the rally. Pic: PA
Speaking to loyal supporters who had waited hours for their party leader to speak, many raised their concerns with how the expulsion of one of Reform’s former MPs was handled.
Recent division in the party started when Rupert Lowe was reported to the police by Reform UK over alleged threats of physical violence towards the party chairman, Zia Yusuf, something Lowe called untrue and false.
The party also commissioned an independent report which found “credible evidence” of separate allegations of bullying, which Lowe also disputes.
Among the chants of support for the party during the rally, there were also shouts of “Rupert” in the crowd – quickly quietened by security.
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While the energy was more subdued than previous events, their popularity in the polls still rivals the government.
In retaliation we saw a dozen or so Labour-backed billboards around the venue attacking the party.
The city’s Birmingham Mail newspaper front cover was also co-opted by Labour warning against Farage, and Wes Streeting namechecked the party on Friday, accusing them of wanting to privatise the NHS.
With not just the locals but a by-election in just one month’s time, it’s clear who Labour see as the direct threat this time around.
Reform doesn’t need to announce any policy at these rallies. But it hinted at a government efficiency strategy, borrowing language from across the pond, Farage stating he will create a version of Elon Musk‘s DOGE – department of government efficiency.
It’s not an unsympathetic crowd, there were a few red hats and a blue version stating “make Britain great again”.
Their most effective messaging though is that they’re simply not one of the main two parties and that seems to be cutting through above and beyond anything else.
List of candidates currently known to be running for West of England Mayor
A woman has been arrested following the discovery of the body of a baby in Notting Hill, west London.
The newborn was found by a council worker in a Marks & Spencer bag outside All Saints’ Church last Tuesday.
The Metropolitan Police said a woman, aged in her 30s, was safely located on Saturday and was then arrested on suspicion of concealing a birth, neglect and infanticide.
Officers said she was immediately taken to a nearby hospital for treatment and to ensure all necessary medical care was provided to her.
She remains in hospital currently.
The Met Police added a post-mortem will take place later this week and officers remain open-minded about the circumstances around the incident.
Superintendent Owen Renowden, who leads policing for Kensington and Chelsea, said: “This is an ongoing, fast-paced investigation, with officers working tirelessly to ascertain the circumstances of the baby boy’s death.
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“We believe that the woman is the baby’s mother and I am reassured that she is receiving the support she needs, while officers continue their work to understand what took place.
“I recognise that the news of this arrest may cause concern among our community, but when dealing with investigations of this nature our priority is to ensure the welfare of all involved and ensure that all lines of enquiry are fully explored.”
Sir Keir Starmer has said 24,000 people who “have no right to be here” have been returned since Labour took power as he opened the government’s border security summit.
The prime minister said it was the “highest return rate for eight years”.
Since Labour took office last July, 29,884 people have been detected crossing the Channel on 542 small boats.
A total of 6,642 people crossed between 1 January to 30 March this year – a 43% increase on the same time last year, when the Conservatives were in power.
Crossings this year passed 5,000 on 21 March, a record compared with the previous seven years since the first crossings in 2018 – and 24% higher than 2024, and 36% higher than 2023.
Interior ministers and law enforcement from more than 40 countries, including the US, Iraq, Vietnam and France, are at the summit at Lancaster House in central London.
Meta, X and TikTok representatives are also there to discuss how to tackle the online promotion of illegal migration.
Sir Keir told the gathering he was “angry” about the scale of illegal immigration around the world as he said it was a “massive driver of global insecurity”.
“The truth is, we can only smash these gangs once and for all if we work together,” he said.
“Because this evil trade, it exploits the cracks between our institutions. It pits nations against one another. It profits from our inability at the political level to come together.”
He said people smuggling should be treated as a global security threat similar to terrorism.
“None of these strategies, as you know, are a silver bullet. I know that,” he told the summit.
“But each of them is another tool, an arsenal that we’re building up to smash the gangs once and for all.”
In a speech at the organised immigration crime summit, Sir Keir Starmer pointedly told global delegates there is nothing progressive or compassionate about turning a blind eye to people smuggling.
This is as much a direct challenge to other nations as it is to those in his party who may be uncomfortable with talk of cracking down on illegal migration and making it harder to claim asylum in the UK.
In an effort to front up to the problem, the PM and home secretary both outlined the deep complexities involved in stopping the boats; interrupting supply chains, financial sanctions on gangs and blocking social media content advertising routes to the UK.
Labour’s message? Bear with us, this is harder than it looks.
But, with public patience wearing dangerously thin on small boats crossings after endless promises from Labour and the Conservatives, and with record numbers crossing the Channel – a 43% rise on this time last year – the prime minister knows he has very little time to persuade the public he can deliver.
Senior government sources tell me they are far more worried about Reform UK denting their vote share than they are about the Conservatives – and the PM’s message today indicates just that.
In his speech, Sir Keir twice cited what he called the unfairness of illegal migration: driving down working people’s wages, terms and conditions, and putting valuable public services under strain.
This shift in tone, directly juxtaposing working people with migrants, feels like a subtle yet significant tilt to voters who may be tempted by Nigel Farage’s rhetoric on migration.
However, we may begin to see some Labour MPs fidgeting in their seats as it is sure to make some of them a little uncomfortable.
Sir Keir appears to be marching up the hill the Tories died on. So will this all too familiar hike prove fatal, or will he succeed where Rishi Sunak failed?
And if Sir Keir does succeed and manages to make a significant dent in the number of small boat crossings before the next general election, Reform may not prove to be as lethal an opponent as first thought.
UK has been a ‘soft touch on migration’
The prime minister criticised the previous Conservative government for allowing illegal migration to soar, saying: “For too long the UK has been a soft touch on migration.”
He said a lack of co-ordination between the police and intelligence agencies had been an “open invitation” for people smugglers to send migrants to the UK.
Image: Sir Keir Starmer and Yvette Cooper at the summit. Pic: PA
Cooper reveals small boats gang tactics
Home Secretary Yvette Cooper also spoke at the event, where she revealed some of the horrifying tactics used by gangs smuggling people over to the UK in small boats.
She said they place women and children in the middle of the flimsy rigid inflatable boats (RIBs), and when they collapse due to overcrowding, they fold in and crush them.
“All of your countries will have different stories of the way in which the gangs are exploiting people into sexual exploitation, into slave labour, into crime, the way in which the gangs are using new technology,” she said.
She said they were not just using phones and social media to organise crossings, but also drones to spot border patrols.
“It is governments and not gangs who should be deciding who enters our country,” she said.
Sir Keir also hosted a roundtable discussion joined by border security and asylum minister Dame Angela Eagle, Border Security Commander Martin Hewitt and Home Office, Border Force and National Crime Agency officials.
Image: The PM led a roundtable discussion with UK law enforcement and ministers. Pic: Reuters
Ministers ‘disappointed’ in small boat numbers
Before the summit, Dame Angela told Wilfred Frost on Sky News Breakfast ministers were “disappointed” in the number of small boat crossings in recent months.
She said one reason was more people were being packed into each boat. She also said smuggler gangs have been allowed to grow “very sophisticated” global networks over many years.
Earlier, Ms Cooper announced £30m funding for “high impact operations” by the Border Security Command (BSC) to tackle supply chains, illicit finances and trafficking routes across Europe, the Western Balkans, Asia and Africa.
An additional £3m will be given to the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS) to increase its capacity to prosecute organised international smugglers and to support the BSC to pursue and arrest those responsible for people smuggling operations.
The boss of Primark has resigned after admitting an “error of judgement” in his behaviour towards a woman in a social environment.
Paul Marchant stepped down as chief executive of the high-street fashion brand with immediate effect following an investigation.
Primark‘s parent firm, Associated British Foods (ABF), said he had co-operated with the investigation, and “acknowledged his error of judgment and accepts that his actions fell below the standards expected by ABF”.
“He has made an apology to the individual concerned, the ABF board and also to his Primark colleagues and others connected to the business,” the firm added.
The group’s overall chief executive, George Weston, said he is “immensely disappointed”.
“At ABF, we believe that high standards of integrity are essential,” he said in a statement.
“Acting responsibly is the only way to build and manage a business over the long term.
“Colleagues and others must be treated with respect and dignity.
“Our culture has to be, and is, bigger than any one individual.”
ABF’s finance director, Eoin Tonge, will take over as chief executive on an “interim basis” – and his role will be taken up by Joana Edwards, the group’s financial controller.
The group’s statement added it “seeks to provide a safe, respectful, and inclusive work environment where all employees and third parties are treated with dignity and respect”.
“Primark is committed to doing business the right way at all levels of the company,” it said.
ABF promised to continue supporting the woman who made the complaint.
Primark results due soon
The group will still publish its interim results for the financial year as planned on 29 April, according to its statement.
Sales at the store fell by 6% – with Primark saying it expects “low single-digit” sales growth for 2025 as a result – down from mid single-digit levels in November 2024.
Speaking at the time, Russ Mould, investment director at AJ Bell, said: “If Primark is struggling, you know the UK retail sector is in trouble.”