Bigots not welcome in Reform UK, says leader Nigel Farage

Farage: Certain candidates caused significant damage to Reform.

Nigel Farage has expressed that "bigots" and "extremists" will not be tolerated in Reform UK as he aims to make the party more professional following its electoral achievements.

Speaking at the annual conference in Birmingham, the leader of Reform UK remarked that the party has reached a new level of maturity following the election of its first Members of Parliament in July.

However, he admitted that the party hadn't been "sufficiently professional" in thoroughly screening candidates, especially after facing several issues regarding their previous statements.

He mentioned that the party stood for the "quiet majority" and believed they could have secured additional seats, but claimed that "a lack of professionalism held us back."

As part of the suggested improvements to enhance the party's professionalism, he mentioned that the party plans to thoroughly evaluate candidates for all upcoming elections.

He mentioned that they plan to follow the example of the Liberal Democrats by aiming to gain more council seats to improve their chances in national elections. Their goal is to secure "hundreds" of seats in the local elections coming up next May.

Reform UK, which used to be called the Brexit Party before the UK's departure from the EU, secured five seats in the election held in July, establishing a presence in Parliament.

After its rebranding in 2021, the party is working to establish itself as a mainstay on the right side of British politics. Its focus includes decreasing immigration, implementing stricter crime policies, and significantly lowering taxes.

Currently, the organization is looking to revamp its party framework, using its recent electoral results as a foundation to achieve sustainable success in future elections.

Before the conference, Farage announced that he would be relinquishing control of the party. It was initially established as a private limited company to expedite its formation in preparation for the European Parliament elections in the spring of 2019.

Speaking to the delegates, Farage explained that the original framework had helped prevent the party from being taken over by "extremist groups." He noted that new political parties are usually at risk of being "hijacked."

He stated, "We are not looking for extremists or bigots, nor do we want individuals who hold those views. We represent the quiet, respectable majority of this wonderful nation."

Nigel Farage addressed an audience of 4,000 people during his inaugural conference speech as a Member of Parliament.

Approximately 4,000 activists are participating in the party's event in the West Midlands, which is four times larger than last year's turnout and the largest gathering to date.

As Eminem's popular 2002 track "Without Me" played in the background, a song that has become a signature entrance theme for the leader of Reform UK, Farage greeted supporters while walking around the auditorium at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre before addressing the crowd.

Farage, who won a seat as an MP in July during his eighth try, was observed by the party's other four MPs. Among them was Lee Anderson, who took a seat on the roof of a double-decker bus inside the conference hall.

During his speech, he informed the activists that he was committed to making the party more professional and accessible to everyone, highlighting that he had established a strong presence in Parliament.

He mentioned that the party would be thoroughly reviewing candidates at every level, especially after removing some individuals during the general election due to allegations of making inappropriate or racist remarks.

"We don’t have the luxury of time, nor the space, for a handful of radicals to undermine the efforts of a party that is currently growing, with its membership reaching 80,000 and continuing to rise," he further stated.

"We experienced the outbursts typical of teenagers, which ultimately led to negative consequences for us during the general election."

"We're at a new stage now. The party has matured, and this weekend marks a significant milestone for Reform UK."

After his speech, he told reporters that voters had penalized the party due to some "bad apples" in their list of candidates, and he mentioned that the last few weeks of the election campaign had been a "disaster."

Even though party managers will do the background checks, he assured the BBC in an interview after his speech that local Reform UK groups will have the freedom to "select their own candidates" for upcoming elections.

He mentioned that the branches could propose new policies to be discussed at upcoming conferences.

A new proposed constitution is set to be voted on this Saturday, which would assign the party's board, along with the leader, the task of determining policy.

Decisions made by members would need to be discussed within three months, but they would only carry "recommendatory weight."