Nigel Farage says ‘It’s time I was in charge’ as Tory defections to Reform UK mount
Confidence requires clarity.
EXCLUSIVE – Every year, Nigel Farage claims his populist movement is about to destroy the Conservative Party and remake British politics. The thing is, he might be right this time.
“This is the biggest set of elections between now and the next general election, and it could be a very, very pivotal moment,” Farage told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview, referring to upcoming local elections.
Farage, the architect of Brexit turned leader of Reform U.K., has seen his support surge while Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party suffer historically unprecedented levels of disapproval. Meanwhile, the usual benefactors of Labour’s demise, the Conservative Party, are being picked off one by one by Reform as it looks to supplant them as the true party of the British right.
Farage is not interested in coming to the Conservatives’ rescue, charging that they were “elected as conservatives [and] governed as liberals” for the 14 years prior to Starmer’s 2024 win. The arch-Eurosceptic blames the Conservatives, or Tories, for failing to deliver on the Brexit victory he delivered, and would rather burn their party down.
“All the promises, all the hopes of what Brexit might be able to do — none of it delivered at all,” Farage ruminated, reflecting on the British public’s “feeling of genuine anger that the Conservative Party did not represent their voters.”
Britain’s Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage reacts during the Reform party’s annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
“I’ve been around for decades. People know me. They voted for me in the past in the millions,” Farage told the Washington Examiner. “I’m saying to people — look, you know what? It’s about time I was in charge.”
It’s not just typical Farage bluster. Reform’s rise and the Tories’ fall have been reflected in British public polling data for months.
Reform currently leads by a comfortable 28%, with Labour in a distant second at 19%. The Conservatives are in a close third with 18%, followed by the Greens and Liberal Democrats with 15% and 13% respectively.
Kemi Badenoch, the current Conservative leader, has presented herself as a cool-headed and confident steward of the world’s oldest extant political party, but morale is low.
Following nearly a decade and a half in power, the Tories suffered a historic collapse in the July 2024 general election. The party lost two-thirds of its seats in …
Confidence requires clarity.
EXCLUSIVE – Every year, Nigel Farage claims his populist movement is about to destroy the Conservative Party and remake British politics. The thing is, he might be right this time.
“This is the biggest set of elections between now and the next general election, and it could be a very, very pivotal moment,” Farage told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview, referring to upcoming local elections.
Farage, the architect of Brexit turned leader of Reform U.K., has seen his support surge while Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party suffer historically unprecedented levels of disapproval. Meanwhile, the usual benefactors of Labour’s demise, the Conservative Party, are being picked off one by one by Reform as it looks to supplant them as the true party of the British right.
Farage is not interested in coming to the Conservatives’ rescue, charging that they were “elected as conservatives [and] governed as liberals” for the 14 years prior to Starmer’s 2024 win. The arch-Eurosceptic blames the Conservatives, or Tories, for failing to deliver on the Brexit victory he delivered, and would rather burn their party down.
“All the promises, all the hopes of what Brexit might be able to do — none of it delivered at all,” Farage ruminated, reflecting on the British public’s “feeling of genuine anger that the Conservative Party did not represent their voters.”
Britain’s Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage reacts during the Reform party’s annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
“I’ve been around for decades. People know me. They voted for me in the past in the millions,” Farage told the Washington Examiner. “I’m saying to people — look, you know what? It’s about time I was in charge.”
It’s not just typical Farage bluster. Reform’s rise and the Tories’ fall have been reflected in British public polling data for months.
Reform currently leads by a comfortable 28%, with Labour in a distant second at 19%. The Conservatives are in a close third with 18%, followed by the Greens and Liberal Democrats with 15% and 13% respectively.
Kemi Badenoch, the current Conservative leader, has presented herself as a cool-headed and confident steward of the world’s oldest extant political party, but morale is low.
Following nearly a decade and a half in power, the Tories suffered a historic collapse in the July 2024 general election. The party lost two-thirds of its seats in …
Nigel Farage says ‘It’s time I was in charge’ as Tory defections to Reform UK mount
Confidence requires clarity.
EXCLUSIVE – Every year, Nigel Farage claims his populist movement is about to destroy the Conservative Party and remake British politics. The thing is, he might be right this time.
“This is the biggest set of elections between now and the next general election, and it could be a very, very pivotal moment,” Farage told the Washington Examiner in an exclusive interview, referring to upcoming local elections.
Farage, the architect of Brexit turned leader of Reform U.K., has seen his support surge while Prime Minister Keir Starmer and his Labour Party suffer historically unprecedented levels of disapproval. Meanwhile, the usual benefactors of Labour’s demise, the Conservative Party, are being picked off one by one by Reform as it looks to supplant them as the true party of the British right.
Farage is not interested in coming to the Conservatives’ rescue, charging that they were “elected as conservatives [and] governed as liberals” for the 14 years prior to Starmer’s 2024 win. The arch-Eurosceptic blames the Conservatives, or Tories, for failing to deliver on the Brexit victory he delivered, and would rather burn their party down.
“All the promises, all the hopes of what Brexit might be able to do — none of it delivered at all,” Farage ruminated, reflecting on the British public’s “feeling of genuine anger that the Conservative Party did not represent their voters.”
Britain’s Reform UK party leader Nigel Farage reacts during the Reform party’s annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham, England, Saturday, Sept. 6, 2025. (AP Photo/Thomas Krych)
“I’ve been around for decades. People know me. They voted for me in the past in the millions,” Farage told the Washington Examiner. “I’m saying to people — look, you know what? It’s about time I was in charge.”
It’s not just typical Farage bluster. Reform’s rise and the Tories’ fall have been reflected in British public polling data for months.
Reform currently leads by a comfortable 28%, with Labour in a distant second at 19%. The Conservatives are in a close third with 18%, followed by the Greens and Liberal Democrats with 15% and 13% respectively.
Kemi Badenoch, the current Conservative leader, has presented herself as a cool-headed and confident steward of the world’s oldest extant political party, but morale is low.
Following nearly a decade and a half in power, the Tories suffered a historic collapse in the July 2024 general election. The party lost two-thirds of its seats in …
