Politics live: Farage picks Jenrick to be Reform’s would-be chancellor as he unveils party’s top team
Zia Yusuf given home affairs brief as leader claims to be ‘voice of opposition’ to Labour
Nigel Farage has put Robert Jenrick in charge of Reform's plan for the economy, dubbing him the party's “shadow chancellor of the Exchequer”, as he announced members of his front-bench team.
Mr Farage has unveiled four spokespeople who would form part of a cabinet if Reform won the next general election, saying his party was “the voice of opposition” to Labour.
He also announced Zia Yusuf will be Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman and Suella Braverman will be its education, skills and equalities spokeswoman, while its new business, trade and energy spokesman Richard Tice said the party would create a new “super-department” in government.
Local government leaders are still reeling after Labour abandoned plans to postpone elections across 30 councils this May, in the wake of advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.
Steve Reed, the local government secretary, had approved proposals to delay the polls to help deliver a major reorganisation of local authorities but that decision was withdrawn “in [the] light of recent legal advice”.
Yusuf says more migrants crossed Channel than on D-Day in war
Reform UK home affairs spokesman Zia Yusuf said that "more people have turned up on our beaches uninvited in the last seven years than stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day".
Border Force data show that since 16 February 2019 - seven years ago - 193,786 migrants have crossed the Channel on small boats.
The Allies landed more than 156,000 troops on five beaches in Normandy on D-Day, June 6 1944. By the end of Operation Neptune on June 30, more than 850,000 men had landed on Normandy beaches.
Starmer hits out at Reform over past vaccine claims as measles cases surge
In pictures: Farage announces Reform's top team
Farage responds to Reform candidate’s suggestion people who don’t have children should pay more tax
Politcal reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
Nigel Farage has suggested people should be offered tax breaks for having more children, after he was asked about comments Reform UK’s by-election candidate made about Britain’s “fertility crisis”.
Last week,The Independent revealed that Gorton and Denton by-election candidate Matt Goodwin previously suggested people who don’t have children should be taxed extra as punishment.
When asked by The Independent’s political correspondent Millie Cooke about whether he would back such a plan, Mr Farage said: “I wouldn’t want to tax anybody more, but you might give people tax breaks for having quite a few children given the cost of living is as high as it is.”
He added: “If part of our strategy going forward is to find some way that we can help young working people have kids in an affordable manner, that would be a very decent and good thing to do.”
'Nothing socialist' about government having stake in British industries, Farage says
There is “nothing socialist” about saying the government should take a stake in British industries, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has said.
Asked by reporters about the party’s policy for state involvement in industries, Mr Farage said: “I don’t think state involvement in strategic industries is socialism.
“There’s nothing socialist about saying that the British government should maybe take a stake in some of these strategic industries. That’s not nationalisation, far, far from it.”
Robert Jenrick, Reform’s Treasury spokesman, added: “There’s nothing socialist about saying that our economy should be concerned about salvaging strategic industries like steel or carmaking.
“We’re losing those strategic industries now.”
'They failed Britain before': Labour respond to Farage's appointments
Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said Nigel Farage’s front bench appointments had “failed Britain before” and would do the same again.
Ms Turley said: “Farage’s top team of failed Tories spent over 3,000 days inflicting untold damage on our country in government, trashing our economy, hammering families’ mortgages, and leaving our borders open.
“They failed Britain before – they’d do the same again under Reform.
“Today’s appointments clearly reveal that neither keeping our nation safe nor tackling NHS waiting lists are priorities for Farage or Reform UK.
“Only Keir Starmer’s Labour Government is delivering on the people’s priorities by tackling the cost of living and cutting NHS waiting lists.”
Jenrick: Reform would focus on cutting taxes
Robert Jenrick, Reform UK’s treasury spokesman said the party would be focused on cutting taxes.
Mr Jenrick also said Reform would be looking at the issue of youth unemployment, which he said was higher than parts of Europe.
He said: “We’re going to set out our economic plans tomorrow, but it’s going to be about reducing bills, having a sensible energy policy to make our country more competitive once again, reducing taxes as we can, and bring back good jobs in all parts of the country.”
Farage refuses to let new top team answer questions - despite attempting to shed ‘one man band’ image
Political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
Nigel Farage went into today’s press conference endeavouring to shed Reform UK’s image that it is a “one man band”, with himself at the helm.
But as the event turned to questions from the media, Mr Farage repeatedly answered questions directed at his new top team.
One reporter who asked Zia Yusuf if he had “put his differences aside” with Robert Jenrick was told by Mr Farage: “I don’t think we need to answer that question frankly I think it rather speaks for itself”
Later, when a reporter asked Robert Jenrick about the axing of the two child benefit cap Mr Farage said: “I’m going to speak for Robert here - wait for tomorrow."
Farage says he ‘won’t tolerate’ disloyalty in top team
Political reporter Athena Stavrou reports:
Nigel Farage has said those in his frontbench “won’t be here for very long” if they “behave badly”.
Asked how he will avoid the “psychodrama” seen within the last Conservative government, the Reform UK leader said he would “not put up with it”.
“If people mess about, behave badly or are disloyal they won’t be here very long,” he said.
“We’re not going to put up with it. We’ll have our disagreements, of course we will, but we’ll have those disagreements in private, behind closed doors.
He added: “I won’t tolerate it publicly. We haven’t got time. We’re not going to aim for government to put it through the same psychodrama the Conservatives did for 14 years when they spent more time fighting eachother than running the country.”
Keir Starmer hits out at Reform over past vaccine claims as measles cases surge
Whitehall editor Kate Devlin reports:
Keir Starmer has hit out at Nigel Farage’s party as measles cases surge, saying the public expects leaders to "stand firmly behind science to protect our children, not to give oxygen to conspiracy theories".
Reform UK came under fire last year after they included a speaker at their conference who suggested that Covid vaccines were linked to the cancers of the King and the Princess of Wales.
Aseem Malholtra, an adviser to US health secretary Robert F Kennedy Jr, said: "One of Britain's most eminent oncologists Professor Angus Dalgleish said to me to share with you today that he thinks it's highly likely that the Covid vaccines have been a significant factor in the cancers in the royal family."
Reform UK later distanced the party from his claims.
But Labour said it was "shockingly irresponsible" of Reform to allow Dr Malholtra at the conference.
Now the PM has warned: “Our country expects its leaders to stand firmly behind science to protect our children, not to give oxygen to conspiracy theories. Public health isn’t a culture war. It’s about keeping our communities safe.”
It came as he also said it was “concerning to see more children getting measles."
He added: “Vaccines are safe, effective and can be life saving. We’re urging all parents to check their children are up to date with their recommended vaccinations.”
The UK Health Security Agency (UKHSA) has warned of a "big measles outbreak" in parts of London affecting unvaccinated children under the age of 10.
The outbreak in schools and nurseries in north-east London is said to have left some children requiring hospital treatment.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments
Bookmark popover
Removed from bookmarks