Farage Puts Reform UK on Election Footing, Says Starmer Government Near Collapse

The Reform UK leader says mounting scandal and policy failures could trigger an early general election, as he opens candidate recruitment and outlines a sharply nationalist platform.

By yourNEWS Media Newsroom

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said Monday that his party is moving onto a “general election war footing,” arguing that the Labour government under Prime Minister Keir Starmer is nearing collapse and that an early national vote could come sooner than previously expected.

Speaking at a Reform UK event in Birmingham, Farage said he will soon announce plans to form a shadow cabinet, drawing from senior figures already aligned with the party. He said the lineup will include recent Conservative defectors Robert Jenrick, Danny Kruger, Nadhim Zahawi, Nadine Dorries, and Suella Braverman, alongside deputy leader Richard Tice, policy chief Zia Yusuf, and party whip Lee Anderson.

Farage said he had long expected a general election by 2027, but argued that controversy surrounding Starmer’s decision to appoint Lord Peter Mandelson as U.S. ambassador has accelerated political instability and could force an earlier contest.

“The political life of the most unpopular and most useless prime minister in living memory is drawing to a close,” Farage said. He described the Mandelson appointment as emblematic of what he called deep corruption within the government, adding that the scale of the controversy could rival historic political scandals.

As a result, Farage said Reform UK has begun recruiting parliamentary candidates nationwide in preparation for an election he believes may be imminent.

He said the coming campaign would hinge on two central arguments: that Britain is fundamentally “broken” and that neither Labour nor the Conservatives are willing to acknowledge it. Farage blamed both parties for what he described as systemic failures in immigration control, economic management, and national sovereignty.

“The Conservatives were a disaster — they broke Britain,” Farage said. “And all that Starmer and Labour are doing is making the situation worse.” He pointed to illegal immigration as a core example, claiming nearly 200,000 undocumented young men have entered the country under successive governments, with more small-boat arrivals occurring under Starmer than under any previous prime minister.

“Our borders are broken. Our economy is broken. No one dares admit it,” he said.

Farage said Reform UK’s priorities would center on “family, community, and country,” and pledged that a Reform-led government would act strictly in what he described as the national interest, regardless of international criticism.

He said this would include rejecting what he called the “rules-based order obsession” of the current government and refusing to accept rulings from international bodies such as the International Court of Justice. Farage cited the transfer of the Chagos Islands to Mauritius — including the strategic military base on Diego Garcia — as an example of what he argued was the surrender of British sovereignty under external pressure.

Farage also criticized what he called the “insane net zero agenda” pursued by both Labour and the Conservatives, arguing that it undermines Britain’s economic competitiveness and energy security. He said the country should expand North Sea oil and gas production, invest in nuclear power, and position itself to compete in emerging sectors such as artificial intelligence and cryptocurrencies.

He further said Reform UK would prioritize domestic food production and oppose the expansion of solar farms on agricultural land, arguing that British farmers should not be pushed out in favor of what he described as “biodiversity deserts.”

Farage framed his leadership as distinct from that of other political figures, pointing to what he said was his long-standing consistency on core principles.

“Twenty months ago, I took a very big and life-changing decision,” he said, referring to his return to frontline politics after Brexit. Farage said he re-entered public life because he believed the country’s core values were being eroded and that he was best positioned to lead a political counteroffensive.

“I can’t be bought. I can’t be bullied,” he said. “I’ve stood for the same principles for many decades.” Farage said that while he may not get everything right, he would continue to lead what he called a “vital and historic movement” with determination and resolve.