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Nigel Farage says Tories are 'becoming desperate' as he stages Reform rally in Kemi Badenoch's constituency
31 January 2025, 19:46 | Updated: 31 January 2025, 23:46
Nigel Farage has said that the Conservatives are "getting rather desperate" about the rise of Reform, as he put on a rally in the constituency of Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.
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Farage continued his war of words as he spoke to LBC ahead of the rally in north-west Essex on Friday evening - after Badenoch over Christmas accused Reform of using fake membership figures.
Speaking on Friday, the Conservative leader called Reform a "party of protest", to which she attributed their recent surge in popularity.
Farage said in response: "They sound like they're getting rather desperate, don't they? Well, if we're a party of protest, how come the last seven polls have us ahead of them? It doesn't sound like a party of protest. This party is real.
"And what you're seeing here tonight are people from this part of Essex coming along to a political event, enthused, excited. So I just think she's plain wrong".
A Techne UK poll has put Reform in second place with 24%, one point ahead of the Conservatives on 23% and two points behind first-placed Labour on 26%.
The row dates back to Boxing Day when Badenoch accused Farage of "manipulating" his own supporters and claimed he had used a membership counter "coded to tick up automatically".
Farage strenuously denied the claim and told LBC that it was a "wacky conspiracy theory".
He said that Badenoch had "provoked" him into holding the rally and making her constituency a target seat.
"if you get things wrong in life, and we all do, we all get it wrong sometimes, so the best thing to do is to hold your hands up and say sorry," Farage said.
"She said something at 5 o'clock on Boxing Day on that Twitter stream that was completely and utterly unfounded, wrong and accused me of dishonesty.
"I can take the rough and tumble of politics, but I can't take being called dishonest. I asked her to apologise, she refused, so here I am. So whatever happens from here, she's brought it fully upon herself".
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Farage, who built his reputation on opposition to mass immigration and membership of the European Union, said that the "population explosion" in the UK had "probably done more to diminish the quality of life of people in this country over the last 20 years than anything else."
He said: I mean, try in this part of Essex, get a GP appointment. It was pretty easy 25 years ago, it's not now. Try and get a house at an affordable price."
Speaking at the rally, Farage compared the rise of Reform to the popularity of Donald Trump.
"I think also we're beginning to see a wave that is crossing the Atlantic from the east coast of America, where Donald Trump, standing on a platform many of whose policies were not dissimilar to what we put to the British people in that contract last July, has won this incredible victory and got off to the most amazing start.
"And even those people that don't like him say, you know what? He gets things done."
The Reform leader added: "People look at us and say 'like Trump these people will get things done', and believe me, we will.
"This is not just going to be an earthquake in British politics. This is going to be the biggest historical political change this country has ever seen."
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Speaking earlier, Badenoch sai she was "not at all" worried about Reform UK's rally in her constituency.
Asked about the rise of Reform in the polls on a visit to a farm in Cheshire, the Tory leader told broadcasters: "The reason why we were kicked out six months ago is because people were unhappy with our government.
"We are now under new leadership and I'm working to change that, but it's not going to happen overnight. What is astonishing is how badly Labour is doing. They should still be in a honeymoon period and people in this country are crying out for serious politics.
"It's not a surprise that at the moment protest parties are gaining in the polls, but the job that the British people have given me is to fight for them, be the leader of the opposition, hold the Government to account.
"That's why I'm here talking about the family farm tax. It's really important that we tell people what's going on with farming and how Labour's policies are going to destroy it. That's much more important than having a rally about myself."
Asked whether she was worried about Reform UK in her constituency, she said; "Not at all."
