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Farage and Jenrick to Speak on Final Day of Reform Conference Overshadowed by Scandal and Protests

From The Guardian · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Ongoing story
  • Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham continues under scrutiny after an undercover investigation prompted the suspension of two senior aides and renewed questions about party finances.
  • Robert Jenrick is expected to propose raising the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 and outline about £80 billion in spending cuts, focused mainly on welfare.
  • Nigel Farage faces pressure over the scandal, while divisions have emerged among senior party figures, including home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf.

Reform UK is trying to turn attention back to its economic program on the final day of its conference in Birmingham, but scandal and protests continue to dominate the gathering. Robert Jenrick is expected to announce a plan to raise the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 within the first 100 days of a Reform government.

The allowance has stood at £12,570 since 2021 and is due to remain at that level until 2031. Reform says its proposal would save the average taxpayer £500 a year and remove 2.9 million people from income tax altogether. The party puts the first-year cost at £17.7 billion, rising to £21 billion after five years.

The hard choice for Burnham and for us is exactly the same. It’s either welfare waste, foreign aid and migrants, or the British worker. We choose the worker.

· Robert JenrickThe expected quote from Jenrick’s conference speech framed Reform’s proposed spending cuts and tax policy.

Reform has previously said it wants to raise the allowance to £20,000. Jenrick is expected to present that target as a step-by-step ambition, dependent on affordability. He will also set out about £80 billion in spending cuts, mainly through reductions to the welfare budget. “The hard choice for Burnham and for us is exactly the same. It’s either welfare waste, foreign aid and migrants, or the British worker. We choose the worker,” he is expected to say.

Anyone who supports Reform is disappointed.

· Zia YusufYusuf commented on the controversy surrounding the undercover investigation and suspended party figures.

The economic proposals come after a turbulent first full day of the conference. Nigel Farage sought to reinforce his leadership as the party faced scrutiny over its finances and the suspension of two senior aides. An undercover investigation raised allegations about potential foreign donations and exposed divisions within the party.

Zia Yusuf has distanced himself from the suspended figures, telling reporters, “anyone who supports Reform is disappointed.” Of the investigation, he said, “It’s just not something I am personally involved in.” His public profile has fueled speculation that he could challenge Robert Jenrick or Richard Tice for the leadership if Farage were forced out over financial scandals. Farage’s keynote speech on Friday was interrupted several times by protesters.

It’s just not something I am personally involved in.

· Zia YusufYusuf distanced himself from the investigation discussed at the conference.
About this summary

Originally published by The Guardian in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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