NIGEL FARAGE said the political landscape has shifted as he set out his plans for Britain, positioning himself and Reform UK against what he called the existing order.
“The world is changing,” Farage told Reuters, as the party begins outlining policies that include mass deportations, leaving international human rights treaties and reducing overseas aid.
He pointed to a change in how he is received internationally, referring to his visit to the annual gathering in Davos.
“I would say a third of the delegates I met there were genuinely interested in who I was, what I was, what I was trying to do,” he said. “And next year it will be 50%.”
Reform is polling ahead of prime minister Keir Starmer’s Labour government, strengthening Farage’s claim that the party could win power at the next election due by 2029.
Farage said Reform’s plans would challenge what he described as a liberal establishment responsible for “a progressive, woke ideology” that has left Britons ashamed of their country.
He compared himself with Donald Trump, Hungary’s Viktor Orban and Argentina’s Javier Milei, calling them leaders bringing “very, very big changes” globally.
Speaking at the launch of Reform’s Wales manifesto in Newport on March 5, Farage said: “Keir Starmer is stuck in a mindset that is 15 years out of date.”
Reform currently has eight lawmakers in Britain’s 650-seat parliament and limited experience in government, which critics say raises questions about its readiness to lead.
The party has also faced criticism over its language on illegal migration and allegations of racism that led to members being expelled. A former Reform leader in Wales was jailed in November for taking bribes to make pro-Russian speeches, which the party called “reprehensible, treasonous and unforgivable”.
“Reform's biggest strength is also its biggest weakness - namely, Nigel Farage,” said Tim Bale, professor of politics at Queen Mary University of London.
“He's adored by those who are absolutely determined to vote Reform but hated by those determined to vote against it - and disliked and distrusted by far too many who might otherwise be tempted to move in its direction.”
According to Reuters, Reform’s policy plans include ending diversity initiatives and net-zero targets, increasing oil and gas production, reducing the size of the civil service and making Britain a crypto hub.
Critics say the agenda reflects policies pursued by the US Trump administration, a claim Farage rejects.
He said Reform’s approach is based on “simple values” focused on “family, community, country”.
A Labour official said: “Reform don't have a proper policy platform. Their ideas don't make sense.”
FARAGE ‘HAS INSTINCTS NOT IDEOLOGY’
Farage’s advisers have also described a broader shift away from what they call the “rules-based international order”.
“You need to be asking: What is your new destination?” said Alan Mendoza, Reform’s chief adviser on global affairs. “Because the old, the old world, has gone. It's over.”
James Orr, Reform’s head of policy, said Farage connects with voters through instinct rather than ideology.
“I'm hesitant to use the word philosophy about Nigel,” he told Reuters. “He has instincts, not ideology.”
Orr said his own views were shaped during the Brexit referendum, when Britain voted to leave the European Union by 52 per cent to 48 per cent.
He said that while working at the University of Oxford in 2016, he was the “only out-of-the-closet Brexiteer” among academics, while his position was supported by “the porters, the butlers, the maintenance department and the gardeners and the groundsmen”.
Farage has described himself as leading a movement backed by ordinary voters. He has also cited Beppe Grillo and Roberto Casaleggio as influences on his use of social media.
“Grillo weaponised social media and Nigel gets it,” said a former adviser. “For a man who has never really turned on a computer in his life, he really gets it.”
The Conservative Party has rejected Reform’s policy direction. Leader Kemi Badenoch said: “Reform are not serious people and they are not going to solve any of your problems.”
“Reform have absolutely no idea what they want Britain to look like in the 2030s,” she added.
FARAGE ON TRUMP AND MAGA
Farage said his links with US political figures could help in government.
“With this administration, I happen to know most of the members of cabinet on a personal basis and have for many, many years,” he said.
He said he agreed with Trump on issues including global security, describing “Iran is the bad actor in the Middle East” and saying “China wants to take over and dominate our lives”. He added that they also share positions on border control and domestic energy production.
Rejecting comparisons with Trump’s MAGA movement, Farage said: “To some extent they copy what we were doing back in the run-up to the referendum.”
“I have always gone for bells and whistles and fireworks and fun, and whilst we believe in what we're doing, we have a good time as well,” he said.
Orr said US vice-president JD Vance “hates what the technocrats and the elites have unleashed on Europe and Britain” and that the United States wants Europe to take more responsibility for its own security.
A source familiar with Reform’s operations said party officials frequently visit Washington to raise funds and build support among business groups.
They target British business owners who oppose the UK tax system and have moved abroad, organising events and attending conferences to reach “high earners”.
The party raised 5.5 million pounds in the fourth quarter of last year, taking total donations to 18 million pounds in 2025, according to Electoral Commission data. At least two-thirds of the funds came from donors living abroad, more than Labour’s 8.1 million pounds.
Mendoza said Britain needs to invest “serious money into defence” and show “you're willing to play a larger role” to maintain strong ties with Washington.
He said there is a view in the Trump administration that Britain is “a weak and feeble country”.
(With inputs from Reuters)
