Nigel Farage says Reform won’t be distracted by ‘campaign of attacks’ at party conference — UK politics live

Nigel Farage says Reform won’t be distracted by ‘campaign of attacks’ at party conference — UK politics live Farage’s speech to Reform UK conference disrupted by several hecklers carried out by security - Bookmark - CommentsGo to comments Nigel Farage has vowed not to be “distracted” by “a highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks” in his speech at the Reform UK conference. In a speech repeatedly interrupted by protestors and delayed after a security alert, the party leader said: “We have been the subject of a highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks.” He added: “But I promise you, we will not be distracted by any of this. We are absolutely determined in what we’re doing.” Mr Farage walked through the crowd to loud music as he danced with members before he took the stage for his keynote speech. It comes as senior Reform officials James Orr and Dan Jukes have stepped down and the party launched an investigation after a report broadcast by Channel 4 News claimed Reform took funding from a US firm for three polls it commissioned earlier this year costing £32,500. Mr Farage claimed the allegations broadcast by Channel 4 that his party breached political donation rules have been made because “they’re scared of us”. Recap: Reform UK won’t be distracted by ‘campaign of attacks”, Farage tells conference Nigel Farage vowed not to be “distracted” by “a highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks”. He told the Reform UK party conference: “We have been the subject of a highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks. “In a sense, it’s not surprising. If you think about it, two parties have dominated British politics for over 100 years. “And around them is a whole ecosystem of membership of the House of Lords, the issuance of government contracts, heads of quangos, and so much else, a whole ecosystem around the century-old two-party system. “And we come along and threaten that. They were never going to come out with a tray of gin and tonics, I promise you.“But I promise you, we will not be distracted by any of this. We are absolutely determined in what we’re doing.” Reform’s new donation scandal proves Farage’s party is completely out of control The hubris of Nigel Farage and senior figures in Reform appears to have finally caught up with them – and this time it could be fatal for their chances of winning an election. The debacle, which played out on Channel 4 last night, saw Nigel Farage and two of his closest aides caught on video seemingly celebrating a potentially illegal foreign donation after a sting operation exposed the sheer dysfunction within Reform UK. Putting aside any legal questions, which will now be investigated by the police, the private reaction from one close ally to what had happened was to bemoan the “sheer stupidity and arrogance” of it as well as a “complete disregard for morality and ethics”. Reform’s new donation scandal proves Farage’s party is completely out of control British army ‘ordered to stop non-essential training exercises to save money’ The British Army has reportedly been told to stop training personnel as financial pressures put the military under strain. Units which are in the UK and are not preparing for specific deployment were ordered to halt “collective training”, it is understood. Training with Challenger 2 tanks and Apache gunships are among those being cancelled, according to reports in The Times. It comes as Andy Burnham is under pressure to increase defence spending from 2.5 per cent of national income next year. British army ‘ordered to stop non-essential training exercises to save money’ Climate Resistance behind disruption at Reform conference Activist group Climate Resistance said they were behind the disruption, adding protesters shouted “Nigel, you’re bankrolled by billionaires” and chanted “billionaire bootlickers” as they were removed by security. Climate Resistance activist Katherine, 35, who was among several protesters removed from the hall, said Reform UK “need to come clean about who their backers are and what interests they actually work for”. She told the Press Association: “We wanted to draw attention to the fact that Reform is backed almost exclusively by shady parties linked to fossil fuels, other extractive industries, and essentially that there’s a complete lack of transparency about their funding.” Asked about Mr Farage’s description of the protest as “boring”, Katherine said: “I’m sure that Nigel Farage and Reform want to paint these questions as boring, but I don’t think that most people in this country see basic questions of accountability and transparency as boring issues. “I think they’re core to our functioning democracy.” Farage and Le Pen’s prodigy Bardella sign pact to ‘stop small boats forever’ Nigel Farage and National Rally president Jordan Bardella signed a pact at Reform UK’s party conference in Birmingham that their leader vowed would “stop small boats forever.” The "memorandum of understanding" pledge was revealed as Mr Farage claimed a new “entente cordiale” between the UK and France would be ushered in if Reform UK and National Rally win their next national elections. Under the agreement, both parties have committed to collaborating on sending migrants back to France. Farage and Le Pen’s prodigy Bardella sign pact to ‘stop small boats forever’ Nigel Farage fights for survival as new Reform sleaze scandal rocks party An embattled Nigel Farage is fighting for his political survival as a major donations scandal completely overshadowed what Reform UK hoped would be a major comeback speech at its party conference in Birmingham. Allegations that the party arranged illegal donations led to the resignation on Friday of Mr Farage’s chief of staff and longtime aide Dan Jukes, as well as policy director James Orr. With the conference framed around Reform’s plans for its “first 100 days” in government, the discussion was knocked off course as Mr Farage was instead forced to answer questions on whether he could bounce back from another scandal. Nigel Farage fights for survival as new Reform sleaze scandal rocks party The end of Nigel Farage is nigh… again Mired in a new donations scandal, the Reform leader has become the Sisyphus of British politics, enjoying the success of pushing the rock up the mountain, only to crash again, says John Rentoul: Ihad better be careful in pronouncing the end for Nigel Farage. I said on TV in 2014 that in five years’ time we will have forgotten who he was, as Farage himself delights in reminding me. There was no use saying I was 48 per cent right. There is a chance that he might yet recover from this new donations scandal, that British politics will convulse again and make him look like enough of the answer to enough of the people – maybe little more than 30 per cent of them – to give him a majority in parliament at the next election. But I really do think it is overwhelmingly likely that we are getting towards the end. The end of Nigel Farage is nigh… again Farage's speech disrupted by hecklers Nigel Farage’s keynote speech at the Reform UK party conference was interrupted numerous times by protesters. Two women stood up in the conference hall at Birmingham’s National Exhibition Centre and held a banner reading “Reform works for billionaires”. They were booed by audience members who shouted “out” and television footage showed a woman being carried out by security. Mr Farage laughed during the disruption and said “We’ve got a screamer. Oh dear.” Addressing the conference hall, the Reform leader said “that poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury”, before adding “boring, boring, boring”. Editorial: Andy Burnham must take his chance to bury Nigel Farage Nigel Farage, the leader of Reform UK, has tried to brush aside the allegation that two of his aides conspired to get around the law against foreign donations, calling the covert filming by Channel 4 reporters “entrapment”. Mr Farage has spoken dismissively of “a couple of contractors” making an “error of judgement”, which simply will not wash. James Orr and Dan Jukes have been suspended, but are “not coming back” according to Lee Anderson, the chair of Reform. Both were close advisers to the Reform leader. Mr Jukes in particular had been in effect Mr Farage’s press secretary and principal adviser for more than a decade, one of Mr Farage’s “lifers”. Read more here: Andy Burnham must take his chance to bury Nigel Farage Join our commenting forum Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies Comments