Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has launched a blistering attack on the current state of the UK's borders, using the unveiling of his party's key election pledges to promise a radical overhaul of the immigration system.
In a move designed to appeal to voters frustrated with record net migration figures, Mr Farage declared that a Reform UK government would take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) to enable the swift deportation of asylum seekers who arrive via illegal routes.
'We will detain and remove people who should not be here,' Mr Farage stated unequivocally during the policy launch in London. He framed the policy as a necessary measure to regain control of the nation's borders, a central promise of the 2016 Brexit campaign he championed.
The 'Contract with the People'
The immigration pledge forms a central part of Reform's 24-page 'contract with the people' – a manifesto-style document deliberately avoiding the traditional 'manifesto' label. The policy platform is built on five core pillars, with 'take back control of our borders' positioned as a primary objective.
Other key pledges include:
- Slashing £50 billion from what the party terms 'woke' civil service diversity roles and international aid.
- Implementing a freeze on non-essential immigration to ease pressure on public services and housing.
- Scrapping net zero targets to fund tax cuts and increased spending on the NHS and defence.
An Uphill Battle for Representation
Despite the bold policy announcements, Mr Farage conceded that the first-past-the-post electoral system presents a significant challenge for his party. He admitted that winning a large number of seats is a 'tough ask' but argued that a substantial vote share for Reform would fundamentally shift the political landscape and force the next government to adopt its policies.
'We are not pretending we are going to win this general election,' he told supporters, outlining a longer-term strategy to establish Reform as the dominant opposition force and a contender for power by 2029.
The party's hardline stance sets the stage for immigration to remain a dominant and fiercely contested issue in the final weeks of the campaign, appealing directly to voters who feel other parties have failed to deliver on past promises of controlled borders.
