𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Nigel Farage had no intention of taking a breather during the week of the Conservative conference in Birmingham. He flew up to Redcar – the scene of one of Boris Johnson’s most iconic victories when the constituency abandoned Labour and voted Tory in the 2019 election. The seat is back in Labour hands but the Reform supporters who gathered in O’Grady’s Hotel to meet the party leader have a damning assessment of Andy Burnham’s party. The scone-heavy tables were decorated with union jack napkins and cupcakes emblazoned with the Reform logo.

Andy Burnham’s decision to unpick the pensions triple lock has gone down badly.

Tom Riley, 64, who works in an engine factory, gave a scathing assessment of the former Mayor of Greater Manchester: “He’s no mandate to lead. He has no gravitas.”

Moira Sheerin, 68, a nurse, feared for the plight of older Britons who rely on the state pension. If she was dependent on it for her sole livelihood, she said: “I don’t know how I’d be able to live. I wouldn’t be [able to go] on holidays… My life would just literally be sitting in the house. I wouldn’t be able to afford a car or anything.”

There was scorn in the room for the notion that Mr Burnham is the “king of the North”. One of Mr Farage’s fans stated: “Manchester is not the North.”

O’Grady’s Hotel in Redcar is decorated with photographs of Steve McQueen and James Bond posters. The proprietor clearly admires characters with chutzpah – something no one has accused Mr Farage of lacking.

By coming to this key Red Wall seat while Tories are gathered for their annual conference, he reminds Conservative footsoldiers of the challenge ahead in winning back Britain’s former industrial heartlands. And as Mr Burnham signals his readiness to push the UK into a new relationship with the European Union, many Labour MPs will shiver at the thought of the fury this could provoke in Brexit-voting seats.

When Mr Farage went for a walkabout in the town centre and the seafront there was a stream of people, young and old, wanting to shake his hand and get a selfie. In this brick of the Red Wall, the Reform message has cut through.