On 20 June 2024, Nigel Farage brought his Reform UK campaign to Blackpool, addressing a sold-out crowd at the Imperial Hotel. Prior to his speech, Farage unveiled a new campaign poster in the town and spoke to local media including the Gazette, positioning Reform as the only real alternative to both Labour and the Conservatives. He urged locals to “join the revolt,” claiming that Britain was broken and only his party had the answers to fix it. Responding to a question on what Reform could do for Blackpool, Farage pointed to the party’s flagship pledge: raising the personal income tax threshold to £20,000. He argued this would allow the lowest earners to retain more of their wages, and crucially, make it financially worthwhile for people on benefits to return to work. “If they work more than 16 hours a week, they start to lose benefits,” he said. “They’re better off staying on benefits than going back to work. That is crackers.”
Farage also highlighted the party’s support for small businesses, claiming that policies from both Labour and the Conservatives have disproportionately favoured multinational corporations. He criticised the recent rise in Corporation Tax and what he described as increasingly restrictive rules for self-employed contractors, arguing that these policies have stifled local enterprise in towns like Blackpool. Reform UK, originally launched in 2021 as a rebrand of the Brexit Party, has since gained ground among right-leaning voters disillusioned with the Conservatives. The party secured its first MP in March 2024, when former Conservative Lee Anderson crossed the floor following controversial remarks about London’s mayor. Reform’s platform centres around a nationalist, low-tax agenda, with pledges to freeze immigration, “stop the boats,” cut energy costs, reduce government spending, and boost economic growth. Farage, now 60, remains a deeply polarising figure in British politics—applauded by loyal supporters and derided by critics in equal measure.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking at an event at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, while on the General Election campaign trail. Picture date: Thursday, 20 June 2024. © Alamy
Farage speaking in the House of Commons, 9 July 2024 ©House of Commons – CC BY 3.0
Official White House Photo – Farage with Donald Trump in 2019 © Tia Dufour
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaking at an event at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, while on the General Election campaign trail. Picture date: Thursday, 20 June 2024.
Text source: The MSNwebsite The Gazette
Images by © Alamy
