Reform UK's Conference Descends into Bizarre Theatrics and Personal Attacks
I have attended numerous Reform UK rallies over the years, but the party's recent conference in Birmingham might just be the most bizarre spectacle I have ever witnessed. The event, held at the National Exhibition Centre, swung wildly from playground nastiness to pure pantomime, offering no substantive discussion on policy or governing.
Jeremy Kyle Takes Centre Stage in Political Pantomime
The conference took an unexpected turn when Jeremy Kyle, the former television host who has openly voiced support for Reform UK and hinted at a potential candidacy, burst onto the stage. Kyle lapped up the attention as he railed against Keir Starmer and declared Reform the saviour of the nation. He then moved to "Stage B," which was set up with two armchairs reminiscent of his old TV show.
For the next hour, a conveyor belt of mostly former Conservative MPs, now representing Reform, took turns in the chair. The segment quickly descended into personal attacks and crude humour, with loudmouth Lee Anderson, the first Conservative MP to defect to Reform, delivering the most outrageous performance.
Personal Attacks and Ghastly Jokes Dominate Proceedings
Anderson began by criticising fellow Reform MP Richard Tice for being "skint" after failing to buy an engagement ring for his fiancée, TalkTV journalist Isabel Oakeshott. From there, Anderson and Kyle launched into personal attacks on the appearances of Labour figures Angela Rayner and Rachel Reeves.
After praising Anderson's "Rachel from Accounts" nickname for the Chancellor, Kyle remarked that Reeves looks like "Richard III." When Anderson questioned whether Rayner could become Prime Minister if Keir Starmer resigned, Kyle quipped, "She's had a makeover," to which Anderson replied that she was "throwing her money away," eliciting roars of laughter from the crowd.
Next, Sarah Pochin took the chair, where the audience endured ghastly sex jokes about Nigel Farage. Recounting her victory in the Runcorn and Helsby by-election last year, Pochin said, "It was the most incredible night of my life, actually winning." When Kyle childishly asked if she said that to her husband, Pochin joked back, "To be fair, I did think he felt a bit of competition... I actually spent the night with Nigel Farage, but we'll leave that there."
Farage's Showmanship Fails to Deliver Substance
Between these weird chat show conversations, Kyle repeatedly shouted, "BREAKING NEWS: Keir Starmer is still Prime Minister," prompting dramatic boos from the crowd. Since the general election, Nigel Farage has pledged to make Reform UK a "serious party," but Monday's event showed they were anything but.
When Farage entered the stage with an even more extravagant display of pyrotechnics and smoke machines than usual, his "major speech" turned out to be nothing more than showmanship. He talked down every part of Britain, claiming everything was broken and that he could fix it all, without offering any concrete plans or solutions.
There were no major policy announcements, no new defections, and no 'Shadow Cabinet' roles set out. The only new development was the addition of a general election application link on Reform UK's website for people to apply as candidates, leading to sarcastic remarks about playground bullies signing up.
A Conference Lacking in Serious Political Discourse
Overall, the Reform UK conference was a stark departure from the serious political discourse expected of a party aiming for governance. It was a spectacle dominated by theatrics, personal attacks, and juvenile humour, with no meaningful engagement on the critical issues facing the country. The event highlighted a party more focused on entertainment than on the hard work of policy-making and leadership.
