Whether it’s their actions in local government, or Nigel Farage’s latest scandal or what their candidates and members are up to, here’s where it’s gone wrong for Reform this week.

With Nigel Farage’s party continuing to dominate the headlines as the new year begins, we’ll be doing our utmost to hold them to account and expose how much of a disaster a Reform UK government would be for the country.

Whether it’s their actions in local government, or Nigel Farage’s latest scandal or what their candidates and members are up to, here’s where it’s gone wrong for Reform this week.

1. ‘Reform don’t care about working class kids’: Farage U-turns on lifting two child cap

Farage has faced growing criticism this week after saying he will oppose the Labour government’s decision to lift the two child benefit cap, which will see hundreds of thousands of children across the country lifted out of poverty.

The Reform leader says he now opposes lifting the cap, despite the party previously committing to abolishing the policy.

Far from being anti-establishment, Farage supports a Tory policy to push hundreds of thousands of children into poverty.

2. Reform Chairman had 10 firms struck off for breaking company law

Yet another Reform UK politician has hit the headlines for all the wrong reasons, for having at least 10 companies struck off for breaking company law.

Far from being the party of law and order, Byline Times has revealed that Paul Donaghy, who stood for the North East Mayoral post and in the Washington & Gateshead South constituency last year and who remains the Washington & Gateshead South Chairman, has had 10 companies struck off for ‘failing to submit legally-required documents including accounts’.

3. Journalist shouted down at Reform press briefing when asking Nigel Farage about alleged racist and antisemitic comments

An ITV journalist was shouted down at a Reform UK press briefing earlier this week, when he questioned Nigel Farage about his alleged racist and antisemitic abuse against fellow pupils at Dulwich College.

Over recent weeks, Nigel Farage has been hit with allegations of racism and antisemitism dating back to his time as a student at Dulwich College in the 1970s and 80s.

At a press briefing, ITV News correspondent Shehab Khan asked Farage once more about the allegations and if he would apologise to his former classmates, only to be shouted down and told ‘boring’ from some members gathered.

That a journalist was shouted down with shouts of ‘boring’ over such serious allegations of racism and antisemitism shows you how disgraceful Reform UK are.

4. Farage slammed for ‘parroting the Kremlin line’ over Ukraine troops stance

Nigel Farage has been criticised this week for “parroting Kremlin lines”, after the Reform leader said he would vote against any government plans to deploy British soldiers in Ukraine.

Speaking on LBC this week, Labour MP Pat McFadden described the government’s plans to deploy troops if a peace deal is agreed as “a really important statement of intent”.

The cabinet minister then laid into Farage, saying: “That’s why it’s so concerning to me to see some politicians, like Mr Farage, for example, immediately come out, parrot the Kremlin line and say he wouldn’t support this.”

5. Nigel Farage took £10,000 gift from Gulf state

Nigel Farage accepted a £10,000 gift from an autocratic petrostate, the United Arab Emirates, the latest update to his register of Members’ interests shows.

The entry states that Farage accepted £10,000 from the Government of Abu Dhabi, run by Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan, to attend the Formula 1 and “meetings” in December.

The UAE has often been described as a monarchic dictatorship and authoritarian state, because political power is concentrated in the hands of its hereditary rulers.

Basit Mahmood is editor of Left Foot Forward

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