Nigel Farage attended the Reform UK North West conference today (Image: PA )
Nigel Farage has piled the pressure on Sir Keir Starmer over the grooming gangs scandal by welcoming a Labour mayor “breaking ranks” to support the demand for an inquiry.
Speaking during the Reform UK North West Conference on Saturday afternoon, the party leader said he welcomed Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham’s decision. He added: “I think the pressure on the Prime Minister is becoming immense.”
Earlier today, Mr Burnham told BBC Radio Manchester he thought there was a case for a “limited national inquiry”.
Reform UK held a “sold out” rally at the Crowne Plaza in Chester today.
Mr Farage made his remarks after an introduction by Elizabeth Harper, a survivor of child sexual exploitation in Rotherham, who also called for an inquiry.
Insisting that a new inquiry should be completed within nine months, Mr Farage reiterated his pledge that Reform would establish its own review if the Government did not act by the end of January.
Farage Turns Up the Heat on Starmer as Labour Mayor Appears to Break Ranks
Nigel Farage has intensified his criticism of Labour, using signs of disagreement within the party to question its leadership, priorities and ability to respond to voters’ concerns. The Reform UK leader has welcomed the prospect of a Labour mayor taking a different position from the party’s central leadership, presenting the apparent divide as evidence that important questions remain unresolved within Labour.
The dispute highlights a recurring challenge for the party: how to maintain a consistent national message while allowing local leaders to respond to the particular needs and political pressures of their communities. For Farage, any visible difference between Labour’s national leadership and its elected representatives offers an opportunity to argue that the party is struggling to agree on the direction it should take.
However, disagreement within a political party does not automatically amount to a rebellion. Mayors often have to balance national policy with local responsibilities, and their public statements can reflect practical concerns rather than an attempt to undermine their party’s leadership.
Farage Seizes on Signs of Disagreement
Farage has built much of Reform UK’s political message around the argument that established parties have become disconnected from the people they represent. His criticism has frequently focused on Labour’s record, its approach to immigration, the cost of living and the wider question of whether voters are seeing meaningful change.
When a Labour figure publicly questions the party line, Farage can use the moment to reinforce that broader argument. Rather than treating the disagreement as an isolated policy dispute, he can present it as a sign that Labour’s national strategy is facing pressure from within.
That approach also serves Reform’s efforts to appeal to voters who previously supported Labour but are dissatisfied with the party’s direction. Farage has repeatedly sought to position Reform as an alternative for people who feel that traditional political loyalties no longer deliver the results they expect.
Yet the significance of any particular intervention depends on what the mayor actually said, the policy involved and whether other Labour figures share the concern. Without those details, it would be premature to describe the episode as a major split or a decisive break with the leadership.
The political value for Farage is nevertheless clear: it keeps Labour’s internal disagreements in the public conversation and places additional pressure on the party to explain its position.