Nigel Farage is set to promise today that a Reform UK government would stop small boat crossings and tackle the cost of living within its first 100 days in office.
The Reform UK leader will say Parliament may have to sit seven days a week to drive through a rapid package of new laws aimed at confronting what he describes as a “national emergency” facing Britain.
Reform’s proposed first 100 days agenda includes ending Channel small boat arrivals and removing green levies from energy bills, a move the party says would save the average household £250.
The party’s Treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, yesterday pledged that an emergency Budget would be used to slash £80billion from public spending, with half of the savings targeted at what he called the swollen welfare bill.
Mr Jenrick said the plan would reduce Britain’s annual debt interest payments by £28billion, creating room for tax cuts intended to ease pressure on household budgets and help revive economic growth.
Mr Farage acknowledged this week he has been left ‘ratty and upset’ by a string of controversies about his party’s funding, including a £5million ‘personal’ donation from a Thai-based crypto-billionaire he failed to declare.
Reform has also slipped in the polls in the wake of Andy Burnham’s political honeymoon and a Tory revival under Kemi Badenoch.
Mr Farage will use his party’s annual conference in Birmingham this weekend to try to get back on the front foot.
Nigel Farage pictured at the business day at the Reform UK Annual Conference at the NEC in Birmingham
Migrants on board a taxi boat at the beach at Camiers in France before they cross the English Channel
A person attending the business day of Reform UK Annual Conference on September 3
He will repeat his claim that a general election will be held next year. And, despite his party’s recent difficulties, he will insist Reform can win it, adding: ‘The two-party system that’s lasted for 100 years is coming to an end.’
Reform frontbenchers have been ordered to come up with a series of ambitious changes for the party’s first 100 days.
Mr Farage will warn today that those who fail to deliver within weeks of the party coming to power will be sacked.
Reform has already set out radical plans to stop the boats, including ditching international human rights laws, banning illegal migrants from claiming asylum and towing boats back to France.
Mr Farage will use talks today with France’s National Rally party president Jordan Bardella to discuss co-operation on halting illegal immigration in the Channel.
National Rally’s hard-Right leader Marine Le Pen is among the favourites to succeed Emmanuel Macron in next year’s presidential elections.
Mr Bardella said last year his party was willing to work with Reform on stopping the small boats – including allowing UK Border Force to push dinghies back to France.
Reform yesterday dismissed Labour’s £660million deal with France, which ministers claim has helped cut migrant crossings this summer.
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Reform UK Treasury spokesman Robert Jenrick speaking during a press conference at Hoxton Docks in east London
A Reform UK taxi inside the NEC in Birmingham for the party conference which will last three days
Deputy Leader Richard Tice speaks at a fringe meeting at the Reform UK Party Conference
Deputy leader Richard Tice said: ‘We should not be sending hundreds of millions of pounds of taxpayers’ cash to the French to not do the job properly.
‘The way to solve this is to pick up, rescue and return. It is the humanitarian thing to do. The French are in breach of their international obligations by not stopping the boats and if we have to do the job for them then that’s what we’ll do.’
Mr Farage will today pledge to take personal charge of the mission to stop the boats, overseeing the work of the party’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf.
And he will warn Establishment figures in Parliament, the civil service and the courts that Reform will not allow them to obstruct its plans.
Mr Farage will vow to do ‘anything and everything to make the first 100 days work’, adding: ‘If the Lords, judiciary or civil service get in our way, they will discover just how determined we are.’
A party spokesman said: ‘Within days of winning the election we will introduce dozens of Bills and force Parliament to sit all through the summer for seven days a week to pass them.’
Reform plans to spell out its plans in its election manifesto in the hope that the Establishment ‘Blob’ will respect their mandate and not try to block them.
But they are also drawing up plans to override opposition, including packing the House of Lords with hundreds of peers.
Prime Minister Andy Burnham meets with Jewish community leaders in Downing Street
The electoral challenge facing the party was underlined by a new study yesterday showing it is likely to face significant tactical voting at a general election.
The Policy Institute at King’s College London found that 41 per cent of voters named Reform as the party they most want to stop from winning.
Almost a third of voters (29 per cent) would consider voting Conservative to keep Reform out in a close contest.
Almost half of Green and Lib Dem voters would consider voting Labour to keep Reform out.
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