Nigel Farage has launched Reform UK's election manifesto, promising £140bn in spending commitments funded by £156bn in savings and growth assumptions. The Institute for Fiscal Studies (IFS) said the plans 'do not add up' due to 'extremely optimistic' growth forecasts, warning the manifesto as a whole was 'problematic'.
The manifesto includes raising the income tax threshold to £20,000, abolishing stamp duty, scrapping VAT on energy bills, and exempting estates under £2m from inheritance tax. It also proposes axing net zero targets, introducing life sentences for drug dealers, freezing 'non-essential' immigration, and providing 20% tax relief on private healthcare.
Farage described the election as 'the first important step on the road to 2029', aiming to establish a 'bridgehead' in parliament. He dismissed the Office for Budget Responsibility as 'part of the problem', drawing comparisons to Liz Truss's mini-budget which avoided OBR scrutiny.
Cabinet minister Michael Gove called Farage's claim of reaching No 10 'ridiculous', branding him part of a 'great entertainment machine' who 'cannot govern'. A YouGov poll last week showed Reform overtaking the Tories for the first time, with 19% support versus 18% for the Conservatives, while Labour led on 37%.
Conservative MP Giles Watling urged his party not to dismiss Reform voters, noting populist leaders emerge during hard times. Another Tory MP stressed the need to convince voters that elections require serious alternatives.
