Farage Stakes Claim for Reform UK in Leaders’ Debate Following Poll Surge

Nigel Farage insists on participating in the prime ministerial debates

Following a YouGov survey that showed Reform UK outperforming the Conservative Party, its leader Nigel Farage declared his intent to position himself as the main challenger to Sir Keir Starmer.

Political correspondent

Friday, June 14, 2024, 10:

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Reform UK chief Nigel Farage has stated his entitlement to participate in an upcoming political leaders' gathering and has issued a direct debate challenge to Sir Keir Starmer.

The aspiring parliamentarian addressed an audience in London following a recent poll that showed his party leading the Conservatives by one percentage point.

This falls within the error margin, and over twelve other surveys show that Reform trails behind the Conservatives in their latest results, with support levels varying between 9% and 17%.

Latest Election Update: Reform Overtakes Conservatives in Latest Survey

According to YouGov, the polling agency referenced by Mr. Farage, his party leads with 19%, slightly ahead of the Conservatives at 18%.

The poll tracker from Sky News, which aggregates all the data to give an average, places Reform in third position.

The latest figures show the Labour Party leading with 42%, followed by the Conservatives at 21.8%, Reform UK at 14.3%, the Liberal Democrats with 10.4%, the Green Party at 5.9%, and the Scottish National Party at 3.1%.

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Call from Farage

During his Friday noon speech, Mr. Farage urgently called for the BBC to include them in the debate.

He seemed to be discussing a unique installment of Question Time scheduled for Thursday, June 20.

Next week, Sir Keir and Rishi Sunak will face off in a leadership debate, held individually between the two.

Mr. Farage has participated in two leadership debates featuring seven individuals each. Yet, unlike the minor parties who were represented by their leaders, the major parties such as Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats did not send their top figures.

Mr. Farage expressed, "I am particularly eager to engage in a one-on-one debate with Keir Starmer, primarily because we believe this election should focus on immigration."

During the same occasion, Mr. Farage proclaimed himself as the "leader of the Opposition" to Sir Keir, stating his conviction that Labour will establish the next government and asserting that the Conservatives are finished.

Great Expectations for Change

The ex-leader of UKIP expressed confidence that his party could secure six million votes in the upcoming election, approximately amounting to 19% of the total legitimate votes from the 2019 election.

Learn more: Sunak Claims a Vote for Reform Equals a Free Pass for Starmer

Conservative MP Shows Interest in Farage's Politics

In the 2019 elections, the Conservative Party secured almost 14 million votes, while the Labour Party garnered approximately 10.3 million. The SNP received about 1.2 million votes, and the Liberal Democrats attracted 3.7 million votes.

It's difficult to determine how the six million might translate into seats under the first-past-the-post electoral system, illustrated by the SNP securing 48 seats and the Liberal Democrats only 11 in the 2019 elections.

Mr. Farage is expressing his desire for his party to prepare for the upcoming general election, which is scheduled to occur by the summer of 2029.

Stay updated on the most recent developments in the UK and internationally by tuning into Sky News.

He stated, "Keep in mind, this isn’t a brief tactical operation; it’s a five-year engagement. This election marks our initial move aimed at preparations for 2029."

"Thus, regardless of how many seats we secure, I can guarantee that our efforts for the 2029 election and the expansion of our large movement within the nation will commence immediately on July 5th."

Changes to the voting system

"Imagine if we ended up with a large tally of votes but only a few parliamentary seats. What would that indicate? It would clearly demonstrate once more that the UK is in dire need of change, including an overhaul of its electoral system, a restructuring of the outdated House of Lords, and the adoption of a provision similar to Switzerland’s, where citizens can initiate referendums on crucial matters if they feel disconnected from their government and legislators."

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When questioned about the financial status of his party, Mr. Farage revealed that Reform has gathered between £2 to £3 million in donations of £25 each, yet he emphasized the need for additional funds as they currently lack sufficient resources.

A representative from the BBC stated that Mr. Farage and Reform UK were featured on various BBC platforms, such as Question Time, the Today programme, and in the recent seven-participant debate last week.

They also mentioned, "According to the editorial guidelines of the BBC and the directives from Ofcom, it is required that the historical and present electoral support be considered when deciding on the extent of coverage for political parties.

The Ofcom guidelines emphasize the importance of a political party's actual election results over data from opinion polls, acknowledging the higher level of uncertainty associated with polling support.

"Our policies outline the general amount of coverage that each party can anticipate, but we track the campaign narrative, taking into account ongoing polling trends."

Efforts have been made to reach out to the Labour Party for

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