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Nigel Farage regains U.K. parliamentary seat, fights off Count Binface challenge

admin — Fri, 14 Aug 2026 06:34:00 +0000

Leader of the Reform UK party Nigel Farage. File
| Photo Credit: Reuters

Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage regained his parliamentary seat ‌on Friday (August 14, 2026) in an election he triggered to bolster his position against allegations of financial impropriety, a strategy that was undermined when his main challenger, a comedian dressed as a trash can, ⁠won more than a quarter of the vote.

Mr. Farage, one of Britain’s leading Brexit campaigners, in a highly unusual move did not turn up at count in the southern English seaside resort of Clacton because he said the police had advised him that ‌there was a campaign to disrupt the result.

“I am damned if I am going to stand on a stage, having won a resounding victory…. and be demeaned and humiliated by nobodies,” Mr. Farage ‌told supporters at a party before the result was announced.

The election was triggered after Mr. Farage resigned from ‌parliament last ⁠month to seek a fresh mandate from voters in what he described as a war ⁠against an establishment bent on discrediting him over taking undeclared gifts from donors. After Britain’s main parties pulled out of the race, calling it a self-serving stunt, Mr. Farage’s main challenger ended up being Count Binface, a figure created by comedian Jonathan Harvey, who has become a fixture of fun at British elections.

While Mr. Farage took 62.8% ‌of the vote, Count Binface, whose policies included capping the price of ice cream cones and conscripting anyone using a speakerphone on public transport, secured 26.7%.

Reform’s momentum shows signs of slowing

After enjoying a lengthy lead in the opinion polls, Reform has seen its popularity wane, driven partly by the funding accusations made against Mr. Farage, who ‌is under investigation in Parliament over whether he should have declared a £5 million ($6.75 million) gift from a cryptocurrency billionaire investor. After declaring his decision to trigger the election in Clacton little more than a ploy to distract from those allegations, other British parties pulled out of the race, ⁠leaving even some of Mr. Farage’s strongest supporters questioning whether the veteran politician had been wrong-footed.

Laura Richards-Gray, a politics lecturer at Birkbeck University in London, said the absence of major-party opponents undermined his attempt to turn it into what he called ‌a “people versus the establishment” contest.

“This has backfired, particularly nationally, as Farage lost control of the narrative,” she said, adding some voters saw the election as “a waste of time and money”.

Mr. Farage’s position has not been helped by a rise in support for the governing Labour Party. Since Andy Burnham became Prime Minister last month, Labour has been enjoying a bounce in ratings, with the party leading Reform 28% to 25%. Burnham has dominated the airwaves and social media in his first few weeks in office, and while the next national election is expected in three years’ time, he appears ‌to be consolidating a left-leaning bloc around Labour.

Reform, on the other hand, is competing for a divided right-wing vote with the Conservative Party and the anti-immigration party Restore Britain gaining in support.

Gift from billionaire crypto investor

Despite winning this vote, the parliamentary watchdog is expected to continue its investigation into his financial declarations once he ⁠returns to parliament. At the heart of the investigation is whether he should have declared the gift from a Thailand-based billionaire ⁠before the 2024 national election. Under parliamentary rules, members of parliament must declare any donations received in the year preceding an election within one month of taking office. Mr. Farage has admitted receiving the money, but ‌not declaring it, saying he has done nothing wrong because it was a personal gift.

If the parliamentary authorities, who are investigating, conclude that Mr. Farage breached declaration rules, he could face a suspension from parliament, and another vote to retain his seat, where the main parties would probably field candidates.

Published – August 14, 2026 12:04 pm IST

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Hard-right Reform U.K. vow to use navy to stop small boats

admin — Mon, 03 Aug 2026 15:59:00 +0000

Nigel Farage, Leader of Britain’s Reform UK party, speaks at a press conference in London, Monday, Aug. 3, 2026.
| Photo Credit: AP

The hard-right Reform U.K. party unveiled plans on Monday (August 3, 2026) for, if it wins power, “the largest military operation” in the Channel “since World War II” to stop migrants crossing on small boats.

The proposal — which experts and other political parties promptly rubbished — comes days after tens of thousands of migrants entered Spain’s North African exclave of Ceuta from neighbouring Morocco, reigniting Europe’s debate over irregular migration.

“What happened in Ceuta over the weekend shows you just how serious this situation is,” Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage, who leads the anti-immigration Reform, told a press conference unveiling the new policy in a 28-page document.

It details plans to deploy Britain’s Royal Navy to return small boats to France, something proposed and swiftly abandoned by the Conservative government in 2020. Reform would need to win the next general election — not due until 2029 — to implement the proposals.

They come as Mr. Farage and Reform — which led national polls for around 18 months but have seen that lead disappear in recent weeks — are embroiled in a series of scandals and official probes into their finances.

In the latest, Parliament’s standards commissioner said on Monday (August 3, 2026) he had last week opened an investigation into an alleged “failure to declare” a financial interest by the party’s deputy leader Richard Tice.

The commissioner was already probing Mr. Farage for a separate alleged parliamentary rules breach. But that was suspended when the Reform head resigned as an MP to trigger a by-election next week that he is contesting.

Meanwhile, London police have confirmed launching a probe in February last year over donations to Reform ahead of the 2024 general election, following a referral from the Electoral Commission watchdog.

‘Doesn’t add up’

However, Mr. Farage denied the announcement was a distraction stunt.

“We’re very confident that our policy of securely picking people up and safely taking them back to France … falls within other conventions of international law,” he said, predicting Reform would stop the boats “within a fortnight”.

The party’s home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf insisted any French resistance “would be a crime against humanity”.

“If the Elysee Palace refuses, make no mistake: His Majesty’s Royal Marines will disembark them safely on the very shore they left that morning,” he added.

He said the plans would be “the largest military operation in the English Channel since World War II”.

But Tom Sharpe, a former Royal Navy commander, told AFP that deploying the navy was “not really where the solution lies”.

“There’s a lot the navy can do but the idea of … ferrying people back to France, against the French’s will, to me just doesn’t add up.”

Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who replaced Keir Starmer two weeks ago, vowed on Sunday (August 2, 2026) to be “relentless” in curbing the crossings.

Since taking power in 2024, centre-left Labour has sought to “smash the gangs” that facilitate the journeys, including through increased cooperation with France.

In April, London signed a new three-year deal with Paris over the crossings, agreeing to pay up to €766 million ($897 million) to boost French law enforcement.

The British government argues the strategy is working, noting year-on-year migrant small boat arrivals in the first half of 2026 were down more than 42 percent to just over 14,000 people.

However, recent weeks have seen a spike, with a daily record for the year set on July 29 when 752 people arrived.

Published – August 03, 2026 09:29 pm IST

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Nigel Farage: A persistent force in British politics

admin — Thu, 09 Jul 2026 07:09:00 +0000

Nigel Farage, who heads the right-wing Reform UK party, announced on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) that he was resigning as the MP for the English constituency of Clacton-on-Sea, only to quickly add that he would re-run in the ensuing byelection. Mr. Farage, a polarising figure with staying power, has survived a plane crash, a car crash and several milkshakes thrown at him by protestors. He is now seeking to politically survive the latest scandal brewing around him.

Mr. Farage is currently being investigated by a parliamentary process for not registering a £5 million personal gift from a Thailand-based crypto millionaire, Christopher Harborne. There are other recent controversies as well, including a recent report in the Sunday Times about gifts Mr. Farage received from a long-time associate and convicted fraudster, George Cottrell. He has denied wrongdoing in both these instances, arguing the gifts were personal. Mr. Farage could be suspended if the parliamentary probe into the Harborne case finds that he broke the rules.

Lead ‘Leave’ campaigner

Mr. Farage is no stranger to controversy. He was the informal lead of the deeply divisive ‘Leave’ campaign, which sought to take the U.K. out of the European Union (Brexit). In 2010, he acquired notoriety for a speech in the European Parliament, in which he called Belgium a “non-country” and its former Prime Minister Herman Van Rompuy a “damp rag” to his face.

Mr. Farage was born in a well-to-do family in Kent in 1964. His father was a stockbroker who struggled with alcoholism and left the family home when his son was five. After completing his schooling at Dulwich College in London, Mr. Farage chose to become a commodity trader in London rather than attend university.

Having joined the Conservative Party as a teenager, he quit it in the early 1990s after the John Major government signed the EU’s foundational Maastricht Treaty. Mr. Farage, by now a Eurosceptic, became a founding member of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) in 1993. In 1999, he became a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) in Strasbourg and quit being a trader. He would continue as an MEP until 2020, focusing his European career on getting the U.K. out of the EU.

Rise of Reform

After Brexit, Mr. Farage acquired a new objective: replacing the Conservative party as the main opposition to Labour. In 2021, during the pandemic, having dissolved the Brexit Party, Mr. Farage created Reform UK. Part of its initial platform was to oppose COVID-19 restrictions. It currently supports tight immigration control including rescinding permanent residence and has taken up right-wing culture wars, such as “supporting free speech” and countering policies such as affirmative action. It also seeks to scrap net-zero policies.

Prior to his election to the U.K. Parliament in July 2024, Mr. Farage had worked as a television broadcaster and programme guest, including in America, where he has appeared on various Fox News programmes. Since at least 2016, Mr. Farage has cultivated ties with U.S. President Donald Trump, becoming one of the first foreign politicians to visit him after his first White House victory. He has sought to develop Reform as the British version of Mr. Trump’s MAGA political platform. In December 2024, he met with tech entrepreneur and Trump associate Elon Musk at Mr. Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort but the relationship appeared to sour eventually, with Mr. Musk suggesting Mr. Farage was not best placed to lead Reform.

Mr. Farage formed the Brexit Party in 2019 as the Brexit process was approaching its multi-year conclusion. The Party comfortably led all other U.K. parties in the 2019 European Parliament elections and Mr. Farage was elected an MEP one last time. With Brexit complete in 2020, all British MEPs ceased to hold office.

‘Voice of the opposition’

Mr. Farage wanted to team up with former Conservative leader Boris Johnson for the December 2019 U.K. general election to form a ‘Leave’ alliance. The idea of such an alliance was also mooted by Mr. Trump, who said the duo could do “something terrific”. Mr. Johnson, however, rejected the idea of an election pact. Mr. Farage unilaterally announced that he would not field a Brexit Party candidate in 317 seats the Tories had previously won.

The relationship between the two men soured after Brexit, starting with the Johnson government’s immigration, tax and spending policies. They also sparred over Mr. Farage’s views on the Ukraine war which were seen sympathetic to Moscow. Last year, Mr. Farage said he would “never, ever forgive” Mr. Johnson for policies that contributed to increased migration into the U.K.

In the run-up to the July 2024 general election, which Labour was expected to win, Mr. Farage ruled out joining the Tories, insisting that Reform UK would become “the leading voice of the opposition”. The Conservatives, it turned out, became the official opposition, but Reform broke its previous records. While it had just five MPs in the 650-member House of Commons, it won the third largest vote share of 14.3%.

Even with just a handful of MPs in Parliament, Reform has been wielding an outsized influence on government and the opposition.

Election gains

A number of key sitting Tory MPs defected to Reform just this year. Reform made significant gains in local council elections in England and assembly elections in Wales and Scotland in May, at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives. Labour’s significant tightening of migration policies has been a reaction to Reform’s positions and voter preferences. The threat of Reform has also featured in the debate around who should lead Labour in the 2029 elections.

While Reform has more consistently led other parties in opinion polls since around the middle of 2025, Mr. Farage’s own popularity has suffered. His net favourability ratings were worse than Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch’s but higher than outgoing Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s, as per polling from April this year.

Andy Burnham, who is likely to replace Mr. Starmer imminently as the U.K.’s Prime Minister, had a 20-point lead over Mr. Farage in a June YouGov poll about who would make a better Prime Minister. Reform also stands to potentially lose votes to hard right party Restore Britain. Mr. Farage, while far from safe electorally, is unlikely to go gently into the political night.

Published – July 09, 2026 11:21 am IST

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Reform U.K.’s Farage resigns as MP, forces byelection

admin — Tue, 07 Jul 2026 15:58:00 +0000

Reform U.K. leader Nigel Farage looks on as he makes a statement to the media at the party headquarters in Millbank, central London, Tuesday July 7, 2026. Photo: PA via AP

Nigel Farage, the leader of the nativist Reform U.K. party, resigned from his parliamentary seat of Clacton-on-Sea on Tuesday (July 7, 2026), saying he would run again in the byelection that has been triggered by his resignation. The announcement was made towards the end of an approximately 15-minute speech, during which he railed against “the establishment”, accusing the mainstream political parties in Britain and the media of unfairly targeting him.

Mr. Farage is currently under investigation by a parliamentary standards body for not registering a personal gift of £5 million from Thailand-based cryptocurrency investor Christopher Harborne weeks before he announced that he was running in the 2024 general election.

Mr. Farage has offered different explanations of the gift — from suggesting it was a “reward” for his Brexit campaign to saying it was funding for his personal security. He has continued to argue that he did not break the rules by not declaring the gift. The probe, launched in May, has not yet concluded.

There are, however, other allegations against the Reform U.K. chief. Over the weekend, the Sunday Times published a report alleging that Mr. Farage received funding from a longtime associate and convicted criminal, George Cottrell, funding his security, housing and staffing. Mr. Farage reportedly broke gift registration rules. The Liberal Democrats have referred this incident to the parliamentary standards commissioner.

Mr. Farage has repeatedly insisted he has done nothing wrong, arguing that the parliamentary code did not cover what MPs spent in their private lives .

“The press would rather our Members of Parliament had no assets and no wealth at all; they seem to fundamentally object to any MP who has outside income,” Mr. Farage said in his broadcast on Tuesday (July 7, 2026), adding that he was earning well in the 1990s as a commodity trader but did not do well financially as a member of the European Parliament subsequently.

Mr. Farage boasted that his actions led to Brexit (he had spearheaded the Brexit campaign as chief of the Eurosceptic U.K. Independence Party) and that he emerged from the process with “very little money”. Standards for MPs were being used as a political tool, Mr. Farage said.

“Now I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. This will be a people versus the establishment by-election,” he added.

The £5 million was going to be needed for his security, Mr. Farage said, adding that he was the most physically and verbally attacked politician currently. He said the country was about to get a Prime Minister without a mandate, referring to MP Andy Burnham, the former Greater Manchester mayor and MP, who is likely to succeed U.K. Prime Minister Keir Starmer imminently.

Mr. Farage on Tuesday (July 7, 2026) called for a general election. Reform U.K. had performed strongly in the May 2026 elections for local council seats in England and assembly seats in Wales and Scotland, at the expense of both Labour and the Conservatives although it has been losing voters to the far right Restore Britain party.

Published – July 07, 2026 09:21 pm IST

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U.K.’s Farage referred to standards watchdog after new report of undeclared benefits

admin — Sun, 05 Jul 2026 18:04:00 +0000

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage gestures during a fireside chat at the Alliance for Responsible Citizenship (Arc) annual conference, at Olympia London, on June 24, 2026. Photo: PA via AP

The leader of Britain’s anti-immigration ‌Reform U.K. party Nigel Farage was referred to parliament’s standards watchdog on Sunday (July 5, 2026) after a report that he failed to declare ⁠some benefits, raising the possibility of a second probe into gifts he has received.

Mr. Farage is already under investigation by the standards watchdog over whether he should have declared a £5 ‌million ($6.7 million) donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire he received before entering parliament.

The Sunday Times reported that Mr. Farage was provided with security services, social ‌media support and accommodation by George Cottrell, a long-standing ally, in ‌the year before Mr. Farage was elected an MP in 2024.

Mr. Farage’s spokesperson said ⁠the story was “baseless and contrived”.

“No parliamentary rules have been broken,” he said.

But Josh Babarinde, a lawmaker in Britain’s Liberal Democrats party, wrote to the Parliamentary Commissioner for Standards on Sunday (July 5, 2026), calling for an investigation into the new allegations.

“Given ‌the value and nature of the support described, there is a serious question as to whether Mr. Farage met his obligations under the Code of Conduct for MPs,” he said in a letter he made public on ‌X. “This is not an isolated concern.”

More scrutiny of reform

The right-wing, anti-immigration Reform U.K. party tops national opinion polls, making Mr. Farage a possible future Prime Minister after a 2029 election and raising scrutiny ⁠of the party and its leader’s finances.

According to the Sunday Times, Mr. Cottrell went to prison in the United States in 2017 after pleading guilty to wire ‌fraud and now works in cryptocurrency.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs must declare financial interests and “registrable benefits” received in the previous 12 months, although personal gifts are exempt.

“I think quite a lot of questions come up in relation to his (Mr. Farage’s) finances. He seems to have a bit of a flexible relationship with transparency,” Britain’s Health Minister James Murray told the BBC on Sunday (July 5, 2026).

Mr. Farage has said ‌the £5 million he received from Thailand-based crypto investor Christopher Harborne before he announced he would stand as an MP in 2024 was an unconditional gift and exempt from disclosure rules. He has also said the money was intended ⁠to fund his personal security.

The donation was not publicly disclosed until reported by ⁠a newspaper in April.

Mr. Farage is awaiting the outcome of the investigation. If he is found to have committed a serious breach of ‌parliamentary disclosure rules, he could be suspended from the House of Commons. A suspension of 10 days or more could trigger a recall petition, potentially forcing a by-election in his constituency.

Published – July 05, 2026 11:33 pm IST

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World’s Richest Man Sparks UK Row

admin — Mon, 06 Jan 2025 04:38:12 +0000

New Delhi:

The world’s richest man, Elon Musk, has sparked a political storm in the UK by launching a series of controversial posts targeting Prime Minister Keir Starmer and the Labour government. His comments have reopened discussions around the issue of child grooming gangs, sparking calls for fresh investigations.

Musk’s Allegations Against Starmer

On New Year’s Day, Musk accused Keir Starmer of failing to act decisively on grooming gang cases during his tenure as Director of Public Prosecutions (2008-2013). Musk claimed that Starmer allowed “rape gangs” to exploit vulnerable girls without facing justice, alleging that institutional failures were linked to Starmer’s leadership of the Crown Prosecution Service (CPS).

The billionaire also criticised Jess Phillips, the safeguarding minister – a position under the UK Home Office, accusing her of covering up for Starmer by rejecting a call for a public inquiry into alleged grooming scandals in Oldham. Musk suggested that Phillips’ decision was politically motivated to shield Starmer, claiming it represented a “cover-up” of systemic failings.

In a series of posts on X, Musk demanded a new national public inquiry and called for the Labour government to face an immediate general election. He went so far as to accuse Phillips of being a “rape genocide apologist”.

The Labour government was quick to dismiss Musk’s remarks, with Health Secretary Wes Streeting labelling them “misjudged and misinformed.” Starmer’s defenders argue that as DPP, he introduced new guidelines in 2013 to better address child sexual exploitation cases.

Grooming Gang Scandals

The grooming gang scandals have long been a flashpoint in UK politics. Investigations in towns such as Rotherham, Rochdale, and Telford revealed widespread child sexual exploitation, often perpetrated by men of predominantly Pakistani descent. Reports suggested systemic failings by local authorities and law enforcement, with officials accused of ignoring or downplaying abuse due to fears of being labelled racist.

The 2022 Oldham inquiry found serious safeguarding failures but did not uncover evidence of organised exploitation in council-run facilities. National inquiries, such as the Independent Inquiry into Child Sexual Abuse (IICSA), have repeatedly identified gaps in the system, while successive governments have pledged reforms.

These failures have been seized upon by far-right figures like Tommy Robinson and Nigel Farage to stoke anti-immigrant sentiment. Musk’s decision to amplify Robinson’s views has led critics to accuse him of spreading disinformation.

Musk vs Farage

The Tesla chief has aligned himself with far-right movements in Europe and expressed support for Britain’s Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage. Musk has also championed the cause of agitator Robinson, currently serving an 18-month sentence for contempt of court

On Sunday, however, Musk appeared to distance himself from Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s anti-immigration Reform UK party. Musk, who previously signalled potential support for Farage’s party, declared on his X platform that “The Reform Party needs a new leader. Farage doesn’t have what it takes.”

This public rift comes days after Farage revealed he had been in talks with Musk regarding a possible significant financial donation to Reform UK. Farage’s party, which split the conservative vote during the general election in July 2024, is seen as influential in Labour’s return to power.

Musk posted on X questioning why Robinson was in solitary confinement, claiming it was for “telling the truth” about grooming gangs, a series of scandals involving the exploitation of young girls by predominantly South Asian men in several UK cities.

Farage responded with a firm rebuke, stating, “Tommy Robinson’s imprisonment is not political. It’s about contempt of court.” While maintaining Musk’s “very supportive” stance toward Reform UK, Farage rejected the notion of aligning with Robinson, saying, “I never sell out my principles.”

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Trump congratulates U.K.’s Nigel Farage, ignores PM Keir Starmer

admin — Fri, 05 Jul 2024 17:10:51 +0000

Republican presidential candidate and former President Donald Trump.
| Photo Credit: AP

Former U.S. President Donald Trump celebrated the election of fellow populist Nigel Farage to Britain’s parliament on Friday, neglecting to mention the new Prime Minister, Keir Starmer.

Mr. Farage’s anti-immigration Reform UK party won the third largest vote haul, but under Britain’s electoral system it took just five seats while Mr. Starmer’s Labour party swept into office with a landslide.

“Congratulations to Nigel Farage on his big WIN of a Parliament Seat Amid Reform UK Election Success. Nigel is a man who truly loves his Country!” Mr. Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform.

Mr. Farage is a long-standing ally of Mr. Trump, who has dubbed the divorced father-of-four “Mr Brexit” and previously said the British populist would have done a “great job” as the U.K.’s ambassador to Washington.

Mr. Farage is a champion of Brexit who was elected to parliament on his eighth attempt and has made no secret of his desire to take over the now-main opposition Conservative party, which was trounced at the polls by Labour.

“There is a massive gap on the centre-right of British politics and my job is to fill it,” he said after a comfortable win in Clacton, eastern England.

The result bucks a rightward trend among Britain’s closest allies, with the far-right National Rally in France eyeing power and Mr. Trump looking set for a return in the United States.

Mr. Farage’s win will likely embolden the attention-grabbing populist figurehead in his long-term aim of staging a “takeover” of the Conservatives.

Millions of their voters appeared to have already switched their support to Reform, handing the Tories one of their worst-ever results.

An initial exit poll caused a stir Thursday night after predicting Reform would secure 13 seats — far exceeding forecasts in the latter stages of the campaign that it would win just a handful.

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UK Reform Leader Nigel Farage’s Speech Interrupted By Banner Mocking Putin Views

admin — Sun, 30 Jun 2024 09:39:10 +0000

Farage is seeking election as a lawmaker, or member of parliament (MP), in Clacton-on-Sea

London:

A speech being delivered by Nigel Farage, the leader of Britain’s right-wing Reform UK party, was interrupted late Saturday when a banner of Russian President Vladimir Putin descended from the ceiling at an election rally.

Campaign group Led by Donkeys, which opposes Farage’s views, said it was responsible for the stunt at the Columbine Centre, at Walton on the Naze in southeast England, and posted a video of the unveiling on X.

That showed the banner slowly unfurling behind a speaking Farage, revealing a smiling Putin giving a thumbs-up sign, along with the words “I (heart emoji) Nigel”.

Led By Donkeys said on X: “Nigel Farage says Putin is the world leader he ‘admires the most’ and blames the West for Russia’s illegal invasion of Ukraine.”

That was a reference to comments Farage made earlier this month when he said the eastward expansion of the European Union and NATO had provoked Putin’s invasion of Ukraine.

The remarks, made in an interview with the BBC, drew strong criticism across the British political spectrum ahead of a July 4 national election in which Farage’s party is predicted to win millions of votes.

On seeing the banner, Farage said: “Who put that up there,” adding: “Someone at the Columbine Centre needs to get the sack.”

The audience then started chanting: “Rip it down.”

Reuters has sought comment from Reform UK.

Farage is seeking election as a lawmaker, or member of parliament (MP), in Clacton-on-Sea, which is nine miles from Walton on the Naze.

On Friday, British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak said he was hurt and angry that a supporter of Reform UK had been recorded making a racial slur about him, saying it was too important for him not to speak out.

(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by NDTV staff and is published from a syndicated feed.)

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How Nigel Farage Is Using TikTok To Challenge Rishi Sunak In UK Polls

admin — Sat, 29 Jun 2024 12:16:01 +0000

Keir Starmer, the Labour Party leader, is currently in poll position to become the UK Prime Minister after the July 4 elections. While PM Rishi Sunak’s Conservative Party faces an uphill battle to retain power, the return of Nigel Farage to front-line politics has only added to his woes. Leading the right-wing Reform UK, the pro-Brexit campaigner has been buoyed by a strong presence on TikTok.

The 60-year-old leader has become an unlikely breakout star on the app, with a five-second clip of him lip-synching Eminem’s “Guess Who’s Back?” pulling in over eight million views.

Nigel Farage, the leader of the Reform UK (formerly the Brexit Party), taunts the British PM Rishi Sunak with Eminem’s “Without Me”. pic.twitter.com/Ym3uX0G2Vu

— The Eminem Bible (@Shadyind) June 15, 2024

Mr Farage’s TikTok account has twice the followers as Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats combined. The Reform UK’s TikTok presence stands out among political parties. With a following of 1,97,000, they far surpass their closest competitor, the Green Party.

The Tories, Labour, and the Lib Dems did not even have official channels on the app until recently, with parody accounts the first to surface when users searched for the big three. By establishing a presence on TikTok, Mr Farage and Reform UK tapped into a younger demographic, setting themselves apart from other political parties.

The Conservatives top-performing clip, “this will change lives,” features British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak promoting his national service policy, It has 4.2 million views. However, Labour’s 11-second response, a clever takedown using Cilla Black’s “Surprise, Surprise,” surpassed it with 5.1 million views.

???? NEW: Rishi Sunak has posted his first TikTok video pic.twitter.com/P0cAg0c8PW

— Politics UK (@PolitlcsUK) May 26, 2024

Nigel Farage’s success on TikTok comes courtesy of 23-year-old Jack Anderton, a self-described “concerned citizen” and right-wing Zoomer. “Zoomer” refers to a member of Generation Z, specifically someone born between 1997 and 2012.

Mr Anderton, a contractor for Farage, has been instrumental in creating content that resonates with a younger voter, as per Politico. His views align with Farage’s, and he has expressed concerns about immigration and Britain’s future. Mr Anderton represents the growing phenomenon of the “Zoomer Right,” a Gen Z conservative movement gaining traction across Europe. Polling shows a large proportion of 18-24-year-olds plan to vote for Reform UK than 25-29-year-olds.

Reform UK’s emergence on TikTok has surprised even party insiders. Initially, their views were modest, but as the party grew nationwide, their TikTok views “rocketed way ahead of any other platform,” says Matt Stevens, Reform’s press officer.

This surge in popularity has been a pleasant surprise, given TikTok’s predominantly young demographic. Mr Stevens believes this age group is “crying out for change” after years of Conservative rule, making them a key audience for Reform’s message.

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