Nigel Farage ripped into Labour as he set out his pitch to small businesses today. The Reform UK leader announced a new group called Small Business for Reform at a press conference, which was attended by 300 small and medium-sized business owners.
Hitting out at Sir Keir Starmer, the Reform leader said: “This Labour Government has absolutely no comprehension of what it’s like to set up a small business, to run a small business, to meet a monthly a payroll, none of them have ever done it, none of them get it.”
He added: “And unlike the other party leaders I set up my first small business in 1993. For 30 years I’ve run small businesses, for 30 years I’ve known what the ups and downs of running a small business are like.”
Nigel Farage Tears Into Labour as He Makes New Reform Announcement
Nigel Farage has once again stepped up his criticism of the Labour government as Reform UK seeks to expand its political message around immigration, local government, political funding and the wider direction of Britain. The Reform leader has used a series of recent announcements and public statements to argue that Labour has failed to address issues that he says are central to voters’ concerns.
Farage’s latest interventions come as Reform attempts to build on its growing presence in British politics. The party has won a significant number of council seats and has become increasingly prominent in national political debate. At the same time, Labour continues to defend its record in government and argues that its policies are intended to address Britain’s long-term economic and social problems.
One of the most prominent subjects in Farage’s recent campaigning has been immigration and border control.
In a statement published by Reform UK on September 25, Farage argued that the English Channel should be treated as a national frontier and criticised the government over small-boat crossings. Reform claimed that more than 1,200 migrants had crossed the Channel since the beginning of that week. Farage described the situation as a national emergency and accused Border Force and the Home Office of losing control.
These statements form part of a broader Reform argument that Britain’s immigration system needs a fundamental change. Farage has promoted what Reform calls “Operation Fortress”, which the party says would seek to end the use of migrant hotels and reduce what it considers to be incentives for irregular migration.
Reform has also advocated returning people arriving irregularly across the Channel to France. Farage has pointed to countries such as Australia and Denmark when arguing that governments can adopt tougher approaches to border enforcement. However, the practical and legal implications of such proposals remain an important part of the wider political debate.
Immigration is not the only issue on which Farage has attacked Labour.
The Reform leader has also criticised the government’s approach to local government reorganisation. In September, Reform said Labour had withdrawn proposed local government changes affecting Norfolk, Suffolk, Essex and Hampshire after legal challenges involving Reform-led administrations. The party described the decision as a setback for the government.
Farage has presented the episode as evidence that Reform is capable of challenging government decisions through political and legal means. Reform also points to earlier legal action over the postponement of local elections, arguing that its intervention helped ensure that elections went ahead.
Labour’s position is considerably different. Local government reorganisation is part of a wider effort to reshape how councils operate and, according to the government, is intended to create stronger and more effective local government structures. The disagreement therefore reflects a broader argument about whether structural reform improves public administration or risks weakening local accountability.
Political funding has also become another point of confrontation.
In an article published by Reform UK on September 21, Farage attacked Labour’s approach to political donations. He specifically criticised comments by Angela Rayner concerning Reform donors Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Farage argued that both men are British citizens and rejected descriptions he said had been applied to them by Labour politicians.
Farage used the controversy to make a wider argument about the financing of British political parties. He claimed that established parties have historically benefited from large donations, relationships with wealthy individuals and political appointments.
These claims are part of Farage’s political argument and should be distinguished from independently established findings about individual donations or alleged exchanges of money and political influence. The wider issue of political funding has attracted scrutiny across British politics, involving several parties and successive governments.
For Reform, however, the subject provides another opportunity to contrast itself with Labour and the Conservatives. Farage has said Reform would not appoint party donors to the House of Lords and would seek to avoid what he describes as political cronyism.
The party’s attacks on Labour are closely connected to Farage’s wider call for a general election.
In June, Farage published an article arguing that Britain needed an election as soon as possible. He criticised Prime Minister Keir Starmer and argued that Labour had failed to deliver the change voters expected. He also pointed to Reform’s performance in local elections as evidence, in his view, that the political landscape was changing.
Farage has repeatedly presented Reform as an alternative to the traditional political parties. His argument is that voters who are dissatisfied with Labour, the Conservatives or the political establishment should have another option.
That strategy is particularly significant because Reform’s political development has occurred alongside major changes in the Conservative Party’s electoral position. The party has attempted to attract voters who are concerned about immigration, taxation, national identity, government spending and Britain’s relationship with international institutions.
However, turning support into sustained national political power presents a different challenge from winning individual council contests or attracting attention through national campaigning. Reform would need candidates, organisation, funding and policies across a wide range of constituencies if it were to seek government at Westminster.
The party’s growing visibility has nevertheless ensured that Labour cannot easily ignore it.
For Labour, the response has generally been to defend its record while challenging Reform’s proposed solutions. On immigration, the government has argued that tackling illegal migration requires international cooperation, enforcement and changes to the asylum system. On public services and local government, ministers have emphasised reform and efficiency.
This creates a clear political divide over the direction Britain should take.
Farage’s approach relies heavily on presenting immigration, government administration and political accountability as evidence of a broader failure by the established political system. His language is deliberately direct, designed to communicate frustration and to distinguish Reform from conventional Westminster politics.
Labour, meanwhile, argues that government cannot be reduced to individual headlines or short-term political confrontations. Its defence is based on the claim that major problems such as housing, public services, economic growth and migration require long-term policy changes.
The latest Reform announcements therefore represent more than isolated attacks on Labour. They form part of an increasingly organised attempt by Farage and his party to establish a consistent political identity.
Immigration remains central to that identity, but Reform’s agenda also encompasses local democracy, political funding, taxation, public spending and constitutional questions.
The political consequences of these arguments will ultimately depend on how voters respond to them. Farage can use speeches, articles and announcements to define what he believes is wrong with the country, but voters will judge the competing arguments and proposed policies for themselves.
What is clear is that the political competition between Labour and Reform has become an increasingly visible feature of British politics. Farage’s latest attacks show that he intends to keep Labour under pressure while presenting Reform as a vehicle for political change.
Whether that strategy translates into further electoral gains will depend on future campaigns, candidates, policies and voter decisions. For now, Farage’s message is unmistakable: he wants Reform UK to be seen not simply as a protest movement, but as a national political force capable of challenging Labour across multiple fronts.
The coming months will show how effectively Reform can convert that message into broader political support. In the meantime, Farage is continuing to use immigration, local government and political funding as key areas in his argument that Britain needs a different political direction.