Reform leader Nigel Farage has said his party is on track to become the next government – adding that there will be a “big rift” in the Labour Party following Angela Rayner’s resignation.
Mr Farage struck a triumphant tone at the Reform UK conference in Birmingham this afternoon, where he said there is “every chance” the next general election will take place in 2027.
The Reform leader was due to speak at 4pm today but brought the meeting forward by three hours after Ms Rayner stepped down as deputy prime minister and housing minister.
Mr Farage told activists he was making his speech earlier than planned because the government is “deep in crisis” following her resignation.
He continued: “You simply can’t get away, can you, from being the housing secretary and avoiding £40,000 of council tax.”
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Ms Rayner had in fact failed to not pay enough stamp duty – not council tax as Mr Farage claimed.
Image: Nigel Farage on stage at the party conference
The Reform leader said her failure to pay the money “screams to entitlement” and claimed the government is “as bad if not worse” than their Conservative predecessors.
Ms Rayner’s replacement as deputy leader of the party will be decided through a vote by members – with details of the contest to be set out at a later date.
Mr Farage said during his speech that he expects there to be a “big rift in the Labour Party” and added: “Before long, there’ll be Labour MPs that reckon they’ve got a better chance on the Jeremy Corbyn sectarian ticket.
“I think there is every chance now of a general election happening in 2027.”
Mr Farage told members he believes Reform is “on track” to enter government and that he is setting up an internal department to prepare for office.
He also said he would stop migrants arriving in the UK on small boats within a fortnight if he wins the next election.
The Reform leader had been welcomed onto the stage with pyrotechnic smoke and fireworks and a standing ovation. People in the crowd were seen drinking pints as they watched his speech.
Mr Farage also welcomed former Conservative culture secretary Nadine Dorries on stage after the former I’m a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here contestant announced her defection from the Tories on the eve of the conference.
The pair had an awkward embrace on stage which included Mr Farage kissing Ms Dorries on the top of her head.
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Awkward moment Nigel Farage and Nadine Dorries embrace
Ms Dorries told members: “I feel for the first time in a number of years as though I’m at a conference and amongst people who share the same principles and values as I have always held.”
Meanwhile, the Labour Party said Mr Farage was offering “anger without answers” with his speech.
It added in a statement: “His answer to the charge that Reform is a one-man band was to unveil one of the faces of failure from the last Tory government, Nadine Dorries.”
Dame Andrea Jenkyns, a former Conservative MP who defected to Reform after losing her seat in the last election, later walked on stage singing a song named Insomniac while wearing a sparkling outfit.
Dame Andrea reportedly wrote the song herself.
Image: A man holds English flags as he attends the conference. Pic: Reuters
Image: Nigel Farage on stage at the party’s conference. Pic: PA
Starmer shuffles his pack
The opening day of the Reform conference has been held as Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has been reshuffling his top team for the first time since taking office in July last year.
Chancellor Rachel Reeves has kept her job, while David Lammy has been moved from foreign secretary to justice secretary.
Mr Lammy will also replace Ms Rayner as deputy prime minister.
Meanwhile, Yvette Cooper has been moved from home secretary to foreign secretary.
Shabana Mahmood will move from justice secretary to home secretary.
But what about his style ‘prince’? Some want that ditched too.
It’s a complicated but not impossible process. Andrew could, of course, just stop using it voluntarily.
Some want him to give up his home, too. For a non-working royal, the stately Royal Lodge, with its plum position on the Windsor Estate, is an uncomfortable optic.
With the reputation of the monarchy at risk, William does not want to appear weak. He’s putting loyalty to “the firm” firmly above his familial relationships.
Prince Andrew has always strongly denied the allegations, and restated on Friday: “I vigorously deny the accusations against me”. Sky News has approached him for comment on the fresh allegations set out in the Mail on Sunday.
But with Virginia Giuffre’s tragic death and posthumous memoir due out on Tuesday, Buckingham Palace will be braced for more scandal.
When Andrew gave up his titles, there was certainly a sense of relief.
There is now a sense of dread over what else could emerge.
Sky News’ royal commentator has explained why Prince Andrew has not given up being called a prince – while another expert has said “the decent thing” for him to do would be “go into exile” overseas.
Andrew announced on Friday that he would stop using his Duke of York title and relinquish all other honours, including his role as a Royal Knight Companion of the Most Noble Order of the Garter.
However, he will continue to be known as a prince.
Royal commentator Alastair Bruce said that while Andrew’s other honours and titles were conferred to him later in life, he became a prince when he was born to Elizabeth II while she was queen.
He told presenter Kamali Melbourne: “I think […] that style was quite special to the late Queen,” he said. “And perhaps the King, for the moment, thinks that can be left alone.
“It’s a matter really for the King, for the royal household, perhaps with the guidance and advice of government, which I’m sure they are taking.”
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Who pushed Andrew to drop his titles?
Since Andrew’s announcement, there has been speculation over whether any further measures will be taken – and one author has now called for him to “go into exile”.
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Andrew Lownie, author of The Rise And Fall Of The House Of York, said: “The only way the story will go away is if he leaves Royal Lodge, goes into exile abroad with his ex-wife, and is basically stripped of all his honours, including Prince Andrew.”
Royal Lodge is the Windsor mansion Andrew lives in with his ex-wife, Sarah Ferguson, who has also lost her Duchess of York title.
Image: Andrew and his former wife continue to live on the Windsor estate. Pic: Reuters
Mr Lownie continued: “He makes out he’s an honourable man and he’s putting country and family first. Well, if he is, then the optics look terrible for the monarchy. A non-working royal in a 30-room Crown Estate property with a peppercorn rent.
“He should do the decent thing and go. And frankly, he should go into exile.”
Mr Lownie added if the Royal Family “genuinely want to cut links, they have to put pressure on him to voluntarily get out”.
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Windsor’s take on Prince Andrew
Andrew’s decision to stop using his titles was announced amid renewed scrutiny of his relationship with paedophile Jeffrey Epstein, and fresh stories linked to the late Virginia Giuffre.
Ms Giuffre, who was trafficked by Epstein, alleged she was sexually assaulted by Andrew on three occasions – which he has always vigorously denied.
Bereaved families whose loved ones took their own lives after buying the same poison online have written to the prime minister demanding urgent action.
Warning: This article contains references to suicide
The group claims there have been “multiple missed opportunities” to shut down online forums that promote suicide and dangerous substances.
They warn that over 100 people have died after purchasing a particular poison in the last 10 years.
Among those who have written to Downing Street is Pete Aitken, whose daughter Hannah was 22 when she took her own life after buying the poison from a website.
Hannah was autistic and had ADHD. She was treated in six different mental health hospitals over a four-year period.
He said: “Autistic people seem to be most vulnerable to this kind of sort of poison and, you know, wanting to take their lives.”
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Pete Aitken speaking to Sky News
Sky News is not naming the poison, but Hannah was able to buy a kilogram of it online. Just one gram is potentially fatal.
“There’s this disparity between the concentration required for its legitimate use and that required for ending your life. And it seems quite clear you could make a distinction,” Mr Aitken said.
Analysis from the Molly Rose Foundation and the group Families and Survivors to Prevent Online Suicide Harms says at least 133 people have died because of the poison. It also says coroners have written warnings about the substance on 65 separate occasions.
The report accuses the Home Office of failing to strengthen the regulation of the poison and says not enough is being done to close dangerous suicide forums online.
Lawyers representing the group want a public inquiry into the deaths.
In a joint letter to the prime minister, the families said: “We write as families whose loved ones were let down by a state that was too slow to respond to the threat.
“This series of failings requires a statutory response, not just to understand why our loved ones died but also to prevent more lives being lost in a similar way.”
The group’s lawyer, Merry Varney, from Leigh Day, said: “The government is rightly committed to preventing deaths through suicide, yet despite repeated warnings of the risks posed by an easily accessible substance, fatal in small quantities and essentially advertised on online forums, no meaningful steps have been taken.”
Image: Hannah’s dad is one of the family members to have signed the letter
A government spokesperson said: “Suicide devastates families and we are unequivocal about the responsibilities online services have to keep people safe on their platforms.
“Under the Online Safety Act, services must take action to prevent users from accessing illegal suicide and self-harm content and ensure children are protected from harmful content that promotes it.
“If they fail to do so, they can expect to face robust enforcement, including substantial fines.”
They added that the position is “closely monitored and reportable under the Poisons Act, meaning retailers must alert authorities if they suspect it is being bought to cause harm”.
“We will continue to keep dangerous substances under review to ensure the right safeguards are in place,” they said.
Anyone feeling emotionally distressed or suicidal can call Samaritans for help on 116 123 or email jo@samaritans.org in the UK. In the US, call the Samaritans branch in your area or 1 (800) 273-TALK.