The sense of futility hanging over the room was almost overwhelming as Robert Jenrick took the stage for Reform UK's latest press conference. With Nigel Farage still absent, sulking over a Guardian report about a £5m gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne, Jenrick was left to unveil the party's latest 'policies' to small businesses. The event was dead in the water before he had said a word.
Farage's absence and 'fever dreams'
Farage has been in a 'long sulk' since the Guardian revealed the donation, avoiding TV cameras and press gatherings. His only concession has been a soft interview with Jeremy Kyle on TalkTV. His latest claims involve immigrants forming a standing army to go to war with the UK, which even Kyle struggled to take seriously.
With the party conference just over a week away, Farage remains in self-imposed exile. The press conference was left to Jenrick and Dicky Tice, with Jenrick drawing the short straw on Wednesday morning.
Unfunded promises to small business
Jenrick's proposals included relaxing data protection rules, raising the VAT threshold for business to £150,000, and a £30 tax credit for anyone kept on hold by HMRC for 30 minutes. He also suggested grandparents and parents could invest £250,000 in a child's business tax free.
Jenrick claimed the proposals were 'personal' for him, but the presentation was met with scepticism. The party's top figures, including Jenrick, Farage, Tice, and Zia Yusuf, were described as 'posh' and out of touch, with internal divisions evident.
Questions expose limitations
During questions, Jenrick struggled to address the energy price increase and the polls, which showed the Reform surge had peaked. He also attacked Kemi Badenoch over her invented conversations with Giorgia Meloni.
A reporter from the Press Association raised the 'elephant in the room': Reform's lack of spokespeople for defence, foreign affairs, and health. Jenrick insisted this was a sign of strength, not weakness, pointing to himself and Tice as the party's representatives.
