Nigel Farage has told National Herald that Reform UK will have replaced the Conservatives as the official opposition in the House of Commons by the end of 2027, and that he is confident his party can win a general election by the end of the decade.
In an hour-long interview at Reform's London offices, Farage was combative, specific, and more focused on institutional strategy than his previous incarnations as a political leader have been.
"The Conservative Party is dying," he said. "It has no ideas, no money, no members who are actually engaged. The question is not whether Reform takes its place. The question is when."
The Defection Strategy
Farage confirmed that conversations are underway with a "significant number" of Conservative MPs about crossing the floor to Reform. He declined to name any individuals but said he expected at least five to have made the move before the end of the year.
"When you're a Conservative MP sitting on a majority of 800, looking at Reform polling 20 per cent in your constituency, the rational calculation changes," he said. "Some of them can see that. More of them will."
Policy Specifics
On economic policy, Farage was more detailed than his critics expect. Reform's flagship proposal — raising the income tax threshold to £20,000 — would cost approximately £50 billion per year, a figure he said could be met by "stopping the waste" in public spending rather than cutting front-line services.
On immigration, he reiterated his commitment to a target of net zero migration, a figure that independent analysts say would require leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and withdrawing from international asylum conventions.
The Credibility Question
When pressed on whether Reform had the depth of talent to form a government, Farage acknowledged the challenge. "We are building a party," he said. "We have been a party for five years. The Conservatives had a hundred years. Give us time.
