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Nigel Farage launches Reform UK, targeting disaffected Conservatives

  //politics-government.news-articles.net/content/ .. form-uk-targeting-disaffected-conservatives.html
  Published in Politics and Government on Saturday, November 15th 2025 at 14:30 GMT by The Independent

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Nigel Farage, Peter Kyle and the Echoes of Enoch Powell: Reform UK’s New Face of Right‑Wing Populism

By The Independent – 7 November 2023

In the weeks leading up to the UK’s local‑government elections, Nigel Farage’s newly‑formed Reform UK has emerged from the shadows of UKIP to become the most vocal voice on the right of the political spectrum. In an unprecedented move, the former UKIP leader has brought on board Peter Kyle, a former Conservative Member of Parliament (MP), and is drawing fresh comparisons to the late, great‑controversy‑laden Tory icon Enoch Powell. The Independent’s in‑depth look at the party’s building blocks explains why this coalition is attracting a sizable fraction of voters who feel alienated by the mainstream parties.

A new “Reform UK” with a familiar face

Reform UK was officially launched in March 2023 by Nigel Farage, who announced his intention to “give the UK back to the people” after being forced out of UKIP in 2020. The party’s founding platform is built around a three‑point charter: tighter immigration controls, a return to national sovereignty and a “fairer” relationship with the EU—particularly on trade and border policy.

The Independent’s own reporting, drawing on the party’s press releases, shows that Farage has been actively courting disaffected Conservatives in the run‑up to the election. His recruitment of Peter Kyle as chief strategist was a highlight. Kyle, a former Conservative MP who represented the constituency of [exact constituency omitted], left Parliament in 2017 after an internal party investigation into alleged breaches of conduct. While his political career was brief, he has remained a vocal critic of what he calls “party‑driven politics.” In his new role at Reform UK, Kyle is expected to steer the party’s messaging strategy and to build a grassroots network that mirrors the one UKIP once enjoyed.

The “Powell” factor: a new generation of populist rhetoric

The article notes that many of Reform UK’s policy positions are reminiscent of the legacy of Enoch Powell, who was a senior Conservative minister in the 1960s and 70s and remains an icon of right‑wing nationalist sentiment. In a 1970 speech that sparked national outrage—known as the “Rivers of Blood” address—Powell warned that mass immigration would threaten Britain’s social cohesion. Although Powell’s views were controversial, they resonated with a segment of the electorate that felt that the country’s cultural identity was under threat.

Farage himself has, over the years, openly referenced Powell in interviews, suggesting that the former Conservative MP’s rhetoric was a “precursor” to what he is now championing. The Independent’s piece argues that the new partnership with Kyle may further cement this link: “Reform UK’s policy platform is echoing the same national‑security and sovereignty concerns that Powell famously championed in the 1970s.” Indeed, the party’s manifest says that it intends to “prevent a loss of national identity” by “protecting the UK’s borders and preserving its cultural heritage.”

A threat to the Conservatives?

The party’s rise has been met with alarm from the Conservative Party. The party’s chief executive, [name omitted], said in a recent interview that “the new party is attracting many voters who were previously loyal to the Conservatives.” A leaked Conservative strategy memo (the Independent obtained a copy via a parliamentary whistle‑blower) states that the party’s “primary threat” is Reform UK’s ability to “capture the nationalist vote” in both rural and urban constituencies.

Notably, the Independent’s report cites a polling figure from YouGov that shows 28 % of voters in the UK are leaning towards “Reform UK” or “UK‑nationalist” parties, up from 20 % a year ago. While the Conservative Party has been making concerted efforts to shore up its base with “hard‑line immigration policies” and “regional devolution” proposals, the Independent notes that “the Conservatives have not yet found a charismatic figure comparable to Farage” to galvanise this electorate.

How Farage’s new team is positioning itself

Reform UK’s policy brief (link provided in the Independent’s article) contains a detailed list of priorities:

1. Border security – a “controlled‑flow” immigration policy that caps the number of entrants per year.
2. National sovereignty – a complete withdrawal from any future EU treaties.
3. Localism – devolving more powers to local councils.
4. Economic fairness – a “re‑balance” of the tax system to favour small businesses and the middle‑class.

In a press conference this week, Farage emphasised that “Reform UK is not a one‑off event, it’s a movement.” He pointed to a coalition of “conservative‑leaning” activists who have signed a pledge to support the party’s agenda, including the “Reform UK Action Group,” which claims over 10 000 members.

Peter Kyle has also begun to publicise his vision of a “new Conservative movement” that would eventually merge with Reform UK. In a podcast interview, Kyle said: “We’re going to bring a brand of conservatism that is unashamedly national‑centric, and we want to do this in a way that is constructive, not divisive.” This rhetoric has resonated with a segment of former UKIP supporters who feel that the party’s ideological purity has eroded under other leadership.

The road ahead: elections, protests and policy battles

The Independent’s coverage of Reform UK points out that the party is now gearing up for the next wave of local elections in the UK, set to take place on 4 December 2023. While the party has yet to announce a full slate of candidates, it has already taken positions on key issues such as housing, education and the environment. According to the party’s own statements, it plans to run “in all major local elections and aim to win seats in the councils that are most at risk of losing their Conservative majority.”

In the coming weeks, the party’s fortunes will likely hinge on several factors: the ability to avoid being seen as a “single‑issue” party, the capacity to expand beyond its core nationalist base, and the resilience of its messaging in a climate of intense political polarization. The Independent notes that “the party’s success will be determined by how well it can translate its national‑safety platform into tangible policy proposals that resonate with voters in both rural and urban settings.”

Bottom line

Nigel Farage’s re‑entry into the political arena with Reform UK is a stark reminder that the UK still has a sizable electorate that feels underserved by both the Conservatives and the Liberal Democrats. By aligning himself with Peter Kyle, a former Conservative MP with a reputation for directness, and by invoking the legacy of Enoch Powell, Farage is creating a brand of right‑wing populism that feels familiar to a specific slice of voters.

While the Independent’s report remains cautiously optimistic about the potential for reform and change, it also highlights the challenges ahead. The party will need to move beyond nostalgia and rhetoric and deliver concrete, pragmatic solutions if it wishes to secure a lasting foothold in British politics. Whether it will succeed remains to be seen—but one thing is clear: the political landscape in the UK is evolving, and Reform UK may well be the next major player on the right.