Farage cedes Reform control ahead of annual conference amid row over his surgery absence claim
Nigel Farage has announced he is “relinquishing” his majority shareholder position of Reform UK, one day before the party begins its annual conference.
In a post on social media, the Clacton MP said: “I’ve now made a decision. I no longer need to control this party. I’m going to let go.”
Unlike most other political parties, Reform UK is a registered company with its deputy leader Richard Tice also listed on Companies House as a person with significant control.
The annual party conference, which is taking place in Birmingham on Friday, has been hailed as the “coming of age” for the party, which gained success in July’s election by winning five seats.
Meanwhile, a row has broken out over Mr Farage’s claim that safety concerns prevent him from holding constituency surgeries, with Parliament’s security services disputing the suggestion.
He has repeatedly been accused of not prioritising his Commons role, coming under fire for spending time in the US endorsing Donald Trump’s presidential campaign since July.
Key Points
Does Starmer’s £170,000-a-year enforcer have to go?
Sue Gray, the prime minister’s chief of staff, is facing a sullen revolt from the political advisers she is supposed to lead. The leaking of her salary – £3,000 more than Keir Starmer’s – matters not just because of the sums of money involved, but because of the resentments it reveals.
One of the aggrieved advisers quoted by the BBC in its report of Gray’s pay said: “If you ever see any evidence of our preparations for government, please let me know.” Given that Gray was hired by Starmer to prepare for government, deploying her experience as a senior civil servant, this was wounding.
The immediate cause of the unhappiness of Labour apparatchiks is that she is taking a £170,000 salary, which is more than the £167,000 that the prime minister is paid, while she is being blamed for squeezing the pay of the poor, bloody infantry.
Does Starmer’s £170,000-a-year enforcer have to go?
The revelation that Sue Gray refused to take a lower salary than the prime minister has added to a growing sense of drift and grievance within Starmer’s administration, says John Rentoul – who thinks she should have done more to avoid the impression that No 10 cares more about freebies than ‘delivery’
Nigel Farage to ‘relinquish’ control of Reform UK by giving up majority shares
Nigel Farage has said he is “relinquishing” control of Reform UK as he gives up his majority shareholder position.
Reform UK Ltd is a registered company, unlike most other political parties, and was previously registered as the Brexit Party from 2018-2021.
Companies House lists party leader Mr Farage, and deputy leader Richard Tice, as persons with significant control, with Mr Farage currently owning more than 50% of shares.
Keir Starmer accused of handing ‘gold-plated pension’ to Sue Gray
The Conservative Party claimed Sir Keir had “snatched away support for the vulnerable”, while handing large pensions to his senior officials.
Can Reform UK show that it’s more than a one-man band?
Reform UK opens its annual conference in Birmingham sporting its first elected members of parliament, a much-expanded membership, and plenty of enthusiasm. Its leader, Nigel Farage, who has been knocking around at the top of politics for longer than all his many rivals combined, has made it into the Commons, on his eighth attempt. He has pledged to spearhead “the real opposition” to the Labour government…
Row erupts after Farage claims he was told not to hold face-to-face MP surgeries over knife attack fears
Nigel Farage is at the centre of a row after he claimed security concerns had prevented him from holding surgeries in his Essex constituency.
Now he has said he was told not to hold the face-to-face meetings with voters, traditionally held on the last day of the week, for safety reasons.
Reform conference to see keynote speech from Farage
Reform UK’s five MPs will each address the conference stage, leading up to a keynote speech by Mr Farage at 4pm which will see him issue a “clarion call for change”.
The party branded the conference “the most exciting of all the political conferences this year”, mocking its mainstream rivals for “festival gratuities” and hosting “lobbyists all offering gifts”.
A preview released on Thursday read: “You have already had the vapid ‘It’s a knockout’ shambles of the Lib Dems in Brighton.
“Next week you will have the Labour festival gratuities and gradgrinds, surrounded by lobbyists all offering gifts.
“And then, oh the pity, the extended funeral rites of a Tory party, lost in its own navel, casting public lots to chose its own pallbearers.”
Starmer insists he is ‘completely in control’ amid Sue Gray salary row
Sir Keir Starmer has insisted he is “completely in control” following a row within Government over his top adviser’s pay.
Disclosures that Sue Gray, the Prime Minister’s chief of staff, received a pay rise after the election which means she earns more than Sir Keir have sparked a row within Government and prompted opposition critics to demand answers about how the decision was made.
But Sir Keir would not be drawn into the row as he spoke to broadcasters before Labour’s party conference this weekend, only insisting his team was focused on his Government’s “big mandate to deliver change”.
The BBC said a number of Whitehall sources had briefed the organisation on Ms Gray’s salary increase, meaning she earns about £3,000 more than Sir Keir, who is paid about £167,000.
Sir Keir signed off a rebanding of the salaries for special advisers shortly after taking office in July, according to the BBC.
Starmer avoids speculating on October budget as he declines ruling out further cuts
Speculating on next month’s Budget will “put the fear of God” into people, the Prime Minister has said as he declined to rule out further cuts.
In a series of broadcast interviews, Sir Keir Starmer repeatedly said he did not want to “get ahead of the Budget”, due to be revealed on October 30, as he was asked to rule out measures such as scrapping the single person council tax discount and cutting the farming budget.
Asked about the single person council tax discount, which gives people living alone 25% off their council tax bill, he told BBC West: “I am really concerned about this and obviously I’m not going to pre-empt the Budget, but I don’t want to risk putting the fear of God into people.”
Sir Keir added: “I don’t want to get into this, you know, ‘Will you rule out? Will you rule out? Will you rule out?’ because it just puts fear into people and I don’t want to do that.
“What I will say is that I’m very conscious of how hard it’s been for people and we intend to make sure that we have those people who have faced the greatest hardship in our minds’ eyes when we take our decisions.”
UK leader Starmer is facing flak for taking freebies. He says he’s done nothing wrong
Less than three months after he was elected on a promise to restore trust in politics, British Prime Minister Keir Starmer is trying to shake off criticism over donations from a wealthy businessman and the hefty salary of his most senior aide.
The Labour Party leader, who won power in a landslide victory on July 4, denies impropriety over thousands of pounds (dollars) worth of clothes and eyeglasses paid for by Waheed Alli, a media entrepreneur and longtime Labour donor.
Starmer is also facing grumbling among his own employees over the salary of chief of staff Sue Gray. The BBC disclosed that she is paid 170,000 pounds ($225,000) a year — about 3,000 pounds more than the prime minister’s salary.
James O’Brien praised for ‘brutal’ Nigel Farage comments moments after LBC interview
Radio listeners have applauded James O’Brien for his ‘savage’ takedown of Nigel Farage.
The LBC presenter, 52, who hosts a much-lauded show on the political live debate channel every weekday, unleashed a scathing appraisal of the Reform UK leader, 60, who had been interviewed by his colleague Nick Ferrari moments earlier.
