Nigel Farage gave a Reform UK press conference today as Sir Keir Starmer faces a crisis over Lord Mandelson.
The Reform leader unveiled his party’s five-point plan to “save Britain’s pubs”.
The party has promised to reduce VAT to 10% for the hospitality sector, scrap the employer national insurance increase for hospitality businesses, cut beer duty by 10%, implement staggered business rate abolition for pubs and “change regulation to support landlords”.
During the press conference, Mr Farage questioned whether Lord Mandelson had breached the Official Secrets Act in his discussions with Jeffrey Epstein.
It comes as the Prime Minister is under intense pressure amid the row over Lord Mandelson’s links to disgraced financier Jeffrey Epstein.
Nigel Farage Makes Huge Announcement as Keir Starmer Faces Political Crisis
Nigel Farage has made another major political announcement as the upheaval surrounding Keir Starmer’s premiership transformed the British political landscape. Farage’s intervention came during a period of intense pressure on Labour, culminating in Starmer’s decision to step down as prime minister in June 2026. The developments have created a new political environment in which Reform UK is seeking to expand its influence while Labour attempts to rebuild under new leadership.
The political situation changed dramatically during the summer. Starmer, who had led Labour to a large parliamentary majority in the 2024 general election, announced that he would resign after months of internal pressure and disappointing electoral results. His departure followed a difficult period for Labour, including heavy losses in local elections and growing concern among Labour MPs about the party’s political direction.
For Nigel Farage, the crisis represented a significant moment. Reform UK had spent much of 2026 attempting to position itself as the principal challenger to the established political parties. Farage repeatedly argued that Labour had lost touch with voters and that Reform represented a different political direction.
However, the political situation did not develop exactly as Reform expected. Starmer’s resignation opened the way for Andy Burnham to become Labour leader and prime minister. Burnham’s arrival changed the debate because Labour could now present voters with a new leadership team rather than asking them to judge Starmer’s government alone.
Farage therefore faced a new challenge. His political message had frequently focused on removing Starmer, but once Starmer left office, Reform needed to explain what it would offer beyond opposition to the former prime minister.
In September, Farage continued to present Reform as an alternative government. In a statement published by Reform UK on September 7, he argued that Burnham’s government had not delivered the changes he believed voters wanted. He called for 100 days to begin what he described as fixing Britain’s problems and attacked the new Labour administration over its policies and priorities.
The announcement was part of a wider effort by Farage to shift the political argument from the question of whether Starmer should remain in office to what a future Reform government would do.
That transition is important. During Starmer’s final months as prime minister, Farage frequently attacked Labour’s record and called attention to the government’s difficulties. In June, Reform’s leader declared that Starmer’s premiership was effectively over, arguing that pressure inside Labour would eventually force a leadership change.
Starmer subsequently resigned, meaning Farage’s prediction about the future of the Labour leadership was followed by a major political change. But the departure also removed one of the central targets of Reform’s campaign.
The new Labour government under Burnham has therefore become the main focus of Farage’s attacks. Rather than simply demanding Starmer’s resignation, Reform now has to demonstrate why voters should support its own programme.
This has included issues such as immigration, welfare, taxation, public spending and Britain’s relationship with Europe. Farage has placed particular emphasis on immigration, arguing that successive governments have failed to control illegal Channel crossings.
On September 25, Farage published a statement focusing on the English Channel and claimed that more than 1,200 migrants had crossed since the beginning of that week. He described the situation as a national emergency and called for stronger action from the government.
Immigration has long been one of Farage’s central political themes, and Reform has sought to use the issue to distinguish itself from Labour and the Conservatives.
But Reform itself has faced significant political difficulties.
In September, two senior Reform officials stepped down after an undercover recording appeared to show discussions about potential foreign funding. The party said Dan Jukes and policy chief James Orr had left their positions while an internal investigation took place. Farage described parts of the conversation as “loose pub talk”, while the allegations also attracted attention from authorities.
The controversy created an uncomfortable backdrop for Farage’s attempts to present Reform as a government-in-waiting. The party had planned its annual conference around its programme for its first 100 days in government, but the funding controversy dominated much of the political coverage.
Farage therefore faced two competing tasks. He wanted to maintain pressure on Labour while also demonstrating that Reform could operate as a disciplined political organisation capable of governing.
The challenge became even more complicated after Farage himself announced in July that he would resign as the MP for Clacton and seek re-election in the resulting by-election. He said the decision was connected to allegations concerning gifts and parliamentary scrutiny, and presented the contest as a confrontation between himself and what he described as the political establishment.
The decision attracted considerable attention because Farage had only recently returned to Parliament. Instead of simply continuing as the MP for Clacton, he chose to trigger another election in the constituency.
The announcement illustrated the highly personalised nature of Farage’s political strategy. His political career has repeatedly involved direct confrontations with established parties and institutions. The Clacton by-election allowed him to present his political future directly to voters again.
At the same time, Reform’s position in national polling has changed over the course of 2026. Ipsos reported in September that Labour had moved ahead of Reform in its latest voting-intention figures, while Sky News reported that Reform’s polling performance had weakened compared with the previous year. These figures are measurements at particular points in time rather than predictions of a future election result.
This context helps explain why Farage has continued to make major announcements and campaign aggressively.
The departure of Starmer did not automatically remove the problems facing Labour, but it changed the political contest. Andy Burnham now has the opportunity to establish his own government and political identity. Reform, meanwhile, must persuade voters that the change in Labour leadership does not address the problems Farage says are facing Britain.
For Farage, immigration remains one of the clearest areas in which he believes Reform can differentiate itself. The party has proposed much tougher measures on illegal migration and has repeatedly criticised the government’s handling of the Channel crossings.
Economic policy is another major battlefield. Reform has promised significant reductions in government spending while arguing that taxes should be reduced in selected areas. Robert Jenrick, the party’s Treasury spokesman, has also outlined major welfare reductions. These proposals place Reform in a broader debate about the size of the state and the future of Britain’s welfare system.
The question now is whether Farage can convert his political profile into a sustained parliamentary and electoral challenge.
His announcement of a 100-day programme is clearly designed to answer that question. Rather than concentrating exclusively on what Labour has done wrong, Farage is attempting to describe what Reform would do if it were given the opportunity to govern.
That distinction is increasingly important. Opposition parties can spend considerable political energy criticising governments, but voters ultimately need to know what alternative policies would look like.
Farage’s strategy has therefore evolved. During the final months of Starmer’s premiership, his central message was that Labour’s leadership had failed and that Starmer should leave office. After Starmer’s resignation, the focus shifted toward Burnham and the policies of the new Labour government.
The political argument has consequently moved from “Starmer must go” to a broader question: what should come next?
Reform’s answer is built around a combination of tighter immigration controls, lower government spending, changes to welfare, tax reductions and a more confrontational approach toward established political institutions.
Labour’s answer under Burnham is likely to be different, with the new government seeking to demonstrate that changing the party’s leadership can restore confidence and address public concerns.
The Conservatives and Greens also remain important parts of the political landscape, meaning the contest cannot simply be reduced to a two-way struggle between Labour and Reform.
Farage’s latest announcements should therefore be understood as part of a continuing attempt to redefine British politics after the end of Starmer’s premiership.
The former prime minister’s political crisis was real and ultimately resulted in his resignation. But Farage’s political challenge did not end with Starmer’s departure. Instead, it entered a new phase.
Reform must now convince voters that it is capable not only of criticising Labour but also of presenting a credible programme for government. Farage’s emphasis on the first 100 days, immigration and economic reform reflects that objective.
At the same time, Reform faces scrutiny over its own internal organisation, funding controversies and the political consequences of Farage’s decision to seek re-election in Clacton.
The next stage of British politics will therefore involve competing claims about who can provide effective government and what direction the country should take.
For Farage, the end of Starmer’s premiership is both a significant political development and a new test. The central figure he spent months attacking is no longer in Downing Street. The responsibility now lies with Reform to explain what it would do differently.
That is the significance of Farage’s latest announcement. It is not simply another attack on Labour. It is part of a broader attempt to transform Reform UK from an opposition movement into a party presenting itself as a potential governing force.
Whether that strategy succeeds will depend on future elections, public opinion, parliamentary developments and Reform’s ability to maintain a consistent political programme.
What is already clear is that Britain’s political landscape has changed dramatically since the 2024 election. Starmer’s departure ended one chapter of Labour’s government. Farage’s latest moves show that Reform intends to make the next chapter a direct contest over the country’s future direction.