BIRMINGHAM, UK (SEPTEMBER 5, 2025) (ANADOLU-ACCESS ALL)
BIRMINGHAM, UK - SEPTEMBER 5: Populist leader Nigel Farage's Reform UK party held its annual conference in Birmingham on Friday, Sept. 5, showcasing its growing influence in British politics amid internal turmoil within the ruling Labour Party.

The conference, which drew thousands of supporters to the National Exhibition Centre, took place as Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner announced her resignation following a scandal over unpaid taxes. Farage seized the opportunity to move his keynote speech three hours earlier, capturing the political momentum.

The Brexit veteran outlined his party's platform, promising to stop illegal migrant boat arrivals within two weeks of taking office, reinstate "stop-and-search" police powers, abolish net zero policies, and slash foreign aid spending.

Despite holding just four seats in the 650-member Parliament, Reform UK has been gaining significant traction. Recent polls show the party enjoying a double-digit lead over the Labour government, with membership swelling to nearly 240,000. At least ten former Conservative MPs have defected to the party since the last election.

Writing by Sibel Uygun