Nigel Farage’s Reform show gets a reboot

London — Former UKIP leader and Reform UK party head Nigel Farage will use his upcoming annual party conference in Birmingham to attempt to move beyond controversy and financial questions that have plagued the group over the summer. The conference, starting Thursday, will be the biggest Reform UK event yet, with an increase of 2,000 attendees compared to last year. This year's conference aims to signal Farage's governing priorities if he were to win power in the next UK general election.

Reform UK's top four officials will unveil their "key pledges" for the first 100 days of a Farage premiership during their speeches. Reform UK's president, Jordan Bardella, a far-right French political figure, will deliver a major address at the conference. Both Farage and Bardella have collaborated on addressing the issue of small boat crossings in the English Channel, which has driven the party's recent success.

However, the conference will also need to address the party's recent polling decline and Farage's personal unfavorability ratings. A recent YouGov survey indicates Farage's net favorability has dropped from -27 last summer to -44, with only 19% of Brits now viewing him as a potential future prime minister. To counter these challenges, Farage will lead the pledge-making process and deliver a policy-laden speech on Friday.

Party officials stress the importance of presenting credible solutions to the country's problems, as the Reform UK conference seeks to showcase the party's capability in addressing key issues during the first 100 days of a Farage-led government. Despite the challenges, Reform UK remains divided internally, with some party members hoping the conference would mark a significant announcement regarding key leadership positions. However, the party has decided to postpone announcing new key posts until after the conference.