Reform UK
Reform UK | |
|---|---|
 | |
| Leader | Nigel Farage |
| Deputy leader | Richard Tice |
| Chairman | David Bull |
| Treasurer | Nick Candy |
| Founders |
|
| Founded | 23 November 2018 |
| Registered | 5 February 2019 |
| Headquarters | 83 Victoria Street London SW1 0HW |
| Ideology | Right-wing populism Euroscepticism |
| Political position | Right-wing to far-right |
| Colours | Aqua, white |
| Slogan | Britain Needs Reform |
| House of Commons | 8 / 650 |
| London Assembly | 1 / 25 |
| Councillors | 969 / 18,645 |
| Scottish Parliament | 17 / 129 |
| Senedd | 34 / 96 |
| Website | |
| https://www.reformparty.uk | |
Reform UK is a right-wing populist political party in the United Kingdom (UK). Created on the 4 January 2021 from the Brexit Party after it was reorganised into Reform UK in 2021. It was led by Nigel Farage until March 2021 when Richard Tice became leader until June 2024 when Farage returned to the position.
Many of its members were formerly of the UK Independence Party (UKIP), with Farage having led UKIP from 2006 to 2009 and 2010 to 2016, as well as from the Conservative Party.
On 6 January 2021, the party was re-registered as Reform UK. Farage stepped down as leader in March 2021, being replaced by party chairman Richard Tice but he became leader again on 3 June 2024.
2019 European Parliament election as the Brexit Party
| Year | Leader | Share of votes | Seats | Change | Position |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2019 | Nigel Farage | 30.52% | 29 / 73 |
n/a | 1st |
Reform Party
Before the general election on 8 December 2019, the party's leader Nigel Farage said that, after Brexit, the party would change its name to the "Reform Party", and campaign for changes in the electoral system and structure of the House of Commons.
In October 2020, Farage and Tice said they had gone to the Electoral Commission, which handles elections, to rename the Brexit Party to 'Reform UK', and said that the party would campaign against more lockdowns (because of the COVID-19 pandemic) and that would seek to reform parts of UK Governance, including the BBC and House of Lords. In a report, Nigel Farage said he and the party supported the Great Barrington Declaration, which tries to remove restrictions and let the lower risk people be infected and become immune and unable to infect the elderly and vulnerable or cause them to die.
A poll by YouGov said that the amount of voters with a good opinion of Nigel Farage and those with a negative opinion of COVID-19 lockdowns was at about 7% of voters. The charity Reform, which has the domain name reform.uk, had complained to the Electoral Commission about the name change, saying that it could be hurting its reputation through name confusion.
On 6 January 2021, the party's name change to Reform UK was approved by the electoral commission.
In January 2021, Reform UK gained representation in the Scottish Parliament when former Conservative and then independent MSP Michelle Ballantyne joined the party and was named Reform UK's leader in Holyrood by Nigel Farage. She lost her seat in May 2021.
Lee Anderson joined Reform UK on 11 March 2024, becoming their first MP.
Reform won 5 MPs at the 2024 general election.
Reform UK is still run by a Limited Company, which has Nigel Farage and Tice as Directors.
On 7 March 2025, Reform UK withdrew the party whip from one of their five MPs, Rupert Lowe, after referring him to the police because the party alleged that he made threats of physical violence to its chairman, meaning he now sits an independent MP.
Policies
- Resume fracking
- Start coal mining again
- Get more oil and gas out of the North Sea
- Cut NHS waiting times within two years by increasing the use of private healthcare operations, at a cost of £30 billion
- Leave the European Convention on Human Rights.
- Immediately cut the rate of corporation tax from 25% to 20% and then further reduce corporation tax to 15% in the third year of parliament.
- Reduce government spending by £150 billion per year, including public services and working-age benefits.
