𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Nigel Farage has put Reform UK on a general election “war footing” as he said Keir Starmer is effectively no longer Prime Minister. He predicted the fallout from the scandal surrounding the beleaguered Labour leader means a snap national vote could come as early as this year. In which case, Mr Farage said, there is “every chance” he could become Prime Minister by Christmas. Speaking to the Express, Mr Farage said Sir Keir’s demise meant Reform needed to be ready for government.

Mr Farage said: “It now becomes more immediate to put the party on a general election war footing. We will start gearing ourselves towards it, because I think Starmer going, which is now inevitable, could even be today.” And asked if his party is ready for a snap election, he admitted: “We’re getting ready. We’re getting ready.”

Mr Farage has repeatedly said a general election could happen two years early, in 2027.

Put to him that one could happen this year, meaning he could potentially become Prime Minister by Christmas, he said: “Well, I don’t know the answer to that, but I mean, anything’s possible in this environment.”

The MP for Clacton was speaking shortly before taking to the stage at Reform UK’s latest rally where he set out his vision for the party in government.

A staggering 2,500 people turned up for the event at the National Exhibition Centre, near Birmingham.

Mr Farage also took aim at Angela Rayner, warning that the “lunacy” over her employment reforms would be the tip of the iceberg if she were to take over from Sir Keir.

The former deputy Prime Minister is the front-runner to be Labour’s next leader in the wake of the scandal over Peter Mandelson’s links to Jeffrey Epstein.

Ms Rayner yesterday (Mon) gave her “full support” to Sir Keir, urging her colleagues to “come together”.

But Mr Farage said: “She’s got personality. I mean, the one thing she’s got none of the others have is personality.

“However, she is not popular in the country. She is not popular outside the Labour Party and she’s dragged us towards lunacy on employment rights.

“Under her there will be super taxes, any thought controlling the borders will be out of the window. So actually, she will probably make the Labour Party even more unpopular.”

Training his crosshairs on the Conservatives Mr Farage said : “There is a big dividing line in British politics.

“You either believe Britain is broken or you don’t. Kemi is emphatic Britain’s not broken. Starmer is emphatic, or whoever follows him, Britain’s not broken.

“We’re emphatic. Britain is broken. And our view is you can’t even begin to fix the problems we’ve got until we accept how much trouble we’re in.”

Mr Farage was joined at the rally by Reform’s seven other MPs – Richard Tice, Robert Jenrick, Suella Braverman, Sarah Pochin, Lee Anderson, Danny Kruger and Andrew Rosindell.

Addressing Mandelson and Epstein directly, Mr Farage was categoric in his insistence that his party will be untarnished by the scandal.

“I never met Epstein and neither has Nick. I am 100% confident we will not be affected. Watertight.”

Another dividing line among Britons is Brexit, Mr Farage added.

Asked if he fears that if Sir Keir limps on as Prime Minister he will continue to reverse Brexit, he said: “As much he may, we will just undo it, reverse the reverse.

“Even if they put in Farage clauses and all the nonsense they’re talking about, we will reverse it.”

During his speech Mr Farage took a brutal swipe at Chancellor Rachel Reeves, saying: “She is the most useless Chancellor in our history and an embarrassment to us on the world stage.

“She clearly hasn’t got a clue what she’s doing. As our debt explodes, as our welfare bill goes through the roof, business confidence sinks.”

Reform UK are currently leading all major polls on around 31%, ahead of Labour on 20% and the Tories on 17%.

The party are widely expected to battle out this month’s Gorton and Denton by-election with the Green Party.