Nigel Farage, the recently elected MP for Clacton, has disclosed that he is not conducting in-person surgeries for his constituents due to safety concerns. This revelation comes as Reform UK, the party Farage represents, prepares for its annual conference in Birmingham, scheduled to begin on September 20, 2024.
Farage, who served as a Member of the European Parliament from 1999 to 2020, expressed apprehension about traditional face-to-face meetings, citing potential security risks. Instead, he has opted for virtual consultations using platforms like Zoom, which gained widespread use during the COVID-19 pandemic.
The MP's decision has sparked discussions about the fulfillment of parliamentary duties, especially given his recent activities supporting Donald Trump's presidential campaign in the United States. Farage, elected to represent one of the UK's 650 constituencies just over two months ago, stated that he has an office in Clacton but is not yet allowing open public access.
Reform UK, originally founded as the Brexit Party in 2018, is convening its two-day conference with ambitious goals. The party, which secured five MPs and nearly four million votes in the last election, aims to surpass the Conservative Party and become the official opposition in the next general election.
Zia Yusuf, Reform UK's chairman appointed in July 2024, shared the party's stance on education in a recent interview. Yusuf advocated for lifting the ban on new grammar schools, which was implemented in 1998. Currently, 163 grammar schools in England, serving over 175,000 pupils, are allowed to expand but new ones cannot be established. Yusuf argued that selective education is crucial for social mobility, drawing from his personal experience of attending a selective school.
The conference is expected to feature Richard Tice, Reform's deputy leader, who will criticize the UK's net zero target, which aims to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero by 2050. Tice is anticipated to label this goal an "extremist cult" and denounce its impact on the economy.
In a significant move, Farage announced his decision to democratize Reform UK's structure. He plans to transform the party from a company limited by shares to one limited by guarantee, effectively transferring control to its members. This change, announced on the social media platform X, marks what Farage describes as the "coming of age" of Reform UK.
As the party convenes in Birmingham, the UK's second-largest city, it faces the challenge of navigating the country's first-past-the-post voting system in its bid to become a major political force. With Farage eyeing a potential run for prime minister in 2029, Reform UK's conference signals its ambition to reshape the British political landscape.
"I've now made a decision. I no longer need to control this party. I'm going to let go. We will change the structure of the party from one limited by shares to a company limited by guarantee, and that means it's the members of Reform that will own this party."