Nigel Farage filmed an awkward video of himself in a flat cap and holding a beer at a Boxing Day hunt to announce Reform UK now has more members than the Conservative Party
Nigel Farage reacts to Reform UK’s membership growth
Nigel Farage has filmed an awkward video at a Boxing Day hunt to announce Reform UK now has more members than the Tories.
The Reform UK leader, who was wearing a flat cap and holding a beer, stood looking at membership figures on his phone as people – including hunters on horses – awkwardly waited around him with cameras. Asked how many more were needed to join before his party overtook the Conservatives, Mr Farage then told the crowd: “We’ve got it, we’re through. How about that?”
He raised his arms as those around mutedly cheered – one person clapped before one or two others joined in. Mr Farage then looked at the camera laughing as he added: “It’s going to be a long day.”
Mr Farage posted the clip online with the caption: “This is an historic moment. The youngest political party in British politics has just overtaken the oldest political party in the world. Reform UK are now the real opposition.”
Reform UK’s tracker shows it has 132,252 members, at the time of writing, ahead of the the last known Tory total of 131,680. The party’s membership figures have soared after it employed tactics such as discounting the joining fee for under 25s.
Overnight Reform UK said it projected a message onto the Tories’ HQ to send them the message that Reform UK is now the real opposition to Labour. At the election, Reform UK won 5 seats, while the Tories won 121. Labour has 402 MPs in Parliament and the Lib Dems have 72.
Mr Farage, who is a close ally to Donald Trump, is said to be in talks with Elon Musk about the future of Reform UK. The Tesla and Twitter /X owner is said to be among a “number of billionaires” considering a donation to Reform UK, the party’s treasurer has said.
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Boxing Day is still a celebration for hunters despite fox hunting being outlawed a decade ago under Labour. The Labour government has reiterated its commitment to ban trail hunting as hunts gathered for the traditional festive meet.
Anti-hunting campaigners are urging ministers to deliver on its manifesto pledge to ban the controversial practice that mimics a traditional fox hunt with dogs – but without chasing, injuring or killing the animal.
The hunts lay an animal-based scent trail – using fox urine – in areas where foxes or hares are likely to be. But sometimes dogs can end up following a real fox’s scent – and campaigners say the hunters can claim they did not know to avoid prosecution.
Ministers are urged to change the law so hunters are punished if they kill foxes by accident. Currently it must be proved there was a “deliberate” bid to kill a fox but this might be changed to include those who kill a fox through “recklessness”.