If you just look at the numbers, a leap to power is by no means unrealistic. Since spring 2025, the party around its leader Nigel Farage, 62, who is not celebrated here but rather revered, has been the most popular in the country for the longest time. It has the largest number of members anyway. Why she still struggles to avoid being perceived as dubious, unprofessional and chaotic is becoming apparent these days.
A visitor comes dressed as a crusader, his sword has been taken away
Visitors to Birmingham tend to be older, male and whiter than the British average. But senior women also came as well as young men in suits, often with footballer haircuts. A gentleman dressed as a crusader is there; according to reports, his sword was taken from him at the entrance. The image of those who arrived contrasts with that of the people who take care of this audience. Hardly anyone among the stewards and service staff here is white.
In addition to the speeches, there will be a number of panels on various stages in the turquoise-washed halls. They deal with the crises that are undoubtedly affecting this country: the lack of prospects for young people, increased crime, overcrowded prisons, too little housing, an expensive welfare state, homelessness, poverty. The sole culprits for all of these problems are identified as illegal immigrants and the corrupt establishment in Westminster that allowed people into the country. This lowest common denominator of those present has not changed compared to last year's party conference. But the calculation is different this time.
On a smaller scale, the organizers are making sure this time to leave out the most outlandish of the outlandish from the list of speakers. In 2025, an invited cardiologist suggested that the corona vaccination was for King Charles III's cancer cases. and his daughter-in-law Catherine are responsible. On the whole, however, the permanent staff had to think of a strategy to continue defending the party's own convictions even under the most difficult conditions. For example, when it comes to climate change.
The energy crisis is one of the few issues that will not at some point be linked to immigration
“Historians will look back at today and say: What the hell were you doing?” predicts party vice president Richard Tice in one of the panels. By this he does not mean a lack of efforts to prevent the catastrophe. He means the strenuous efforts, i.e. the Labor government's Net Zero target, which no longer wants to allow any new emissions that are harmful to the climate from 2050 onwards. Now the British have just struggled through the hottest summer on record. Tice recommends: “Enjoy the warm days!” We should be happy that British wine is getting better and better in the heat. He advocates maximum oil and gas production on the island and in the sea.
The energy crisis is one of the few issues here that is not at some point linked to immigration. Farage, meanwhile, has been careful to distinguish himself, at least rhetorically, from the most notorious racists since he co-founded the party almost eight years ago. There are enough of them in the country; on Saturday, for example, hundreds of masked supporters dressed in black marched in the port city of Dover. "It's time! Protect our country! And more importantly: our women and children!" one of the organizers posted on X.
Anyone who speaks to visitors in Birmingham now hears again and again about this fear of young, male, violent migrants who also endanger national identity with their religious practices. Reform UK thrives politically on this feeling. But for some in the country, Farage is not radical enough. They are turning to a new, more extreme party, Restore Britain.
Farage is politically more vulnerable than ever. In the summer he was criticized for personally accepting five million pounds from a patron without reporting the gift. The Parliamentary Standards Watchdog began investigating. He resigned as an MP, only to immediately run for re-election. The other parties spoke of a diversionary tactic and did not send a candidate to the Clacton constituency. Farage's most high-profile opponent was Count Binface, a satirist with a trash can on his head. Farage won, and the parliamentary investigation continues.
Now there is this video: about shady ideas about who could support the party financially
Politics should be the focus again at the party conference. The leader of the right-wing populist French party Rassemblement National, Jordan Bardella, was invited. In addition, representatives from foreign embassies traveled, including German ones, and it is possible that the hosts will soon have to deal with them at government level - the next national election is not scheduled until 2029, but Reform UK apparently expects that the new Prime Minister Andy Burnham, who is dangerously popular for the party, will call new elections in the spring of 2027 at the latest. If Reform UK wins this, Farage wants to declare a state of emergency on his first day as prime minister. The Royal Navy will patrol the English Channel. The House of Commons will hold sessions around the clock if necessary. He will fire officials who don't track things down. If the House of Lords resists new laws, he wants to appoint as many new members until he has a majority in the upper house.
But now there is also this video. Those who arrived who are still open to a critical discussion watch the recordings, which were published on Thursday, on their smartphones. Members of the non-profit organization Verbatim met undercover with high-ranking reform figures and secretly filmed them. The discussions discussed at least shady methods of how a supposedly rich American could support the party financially. Party donations from abroad are illegal in the UK. Farage can also be seen in the footage, eating oysters together in the pub. In Birmingham he emphasized that the party had not broken any laws and that he himself had not noticed anything. But two of his closest colleagues have to leave the party. The police are also investigating.
After three days, the party conference ends on Saturday afternoon. It can be assumed that the crusader got his sword back.
