Photo: Gage Skidmore from Surprise, AZ, United States of America, CC-BY-SA-2.0, via Wikimedia Commons
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled a sweeping four-point plan on immigration on Thursday, promising a crackdown on illegal migration and the appointment of a new ‘Deportations Minister’ under a Reform-led government.
Speaking in Dover, the symbolic heart of Britain’s migration crisis, Farage declared: “We will bring a total end to all asylum claims from people who come here on travel visas or as students,” while reaffirming his pledge to take the UK out of the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR) and repeal the Human Rights Act.
Farage’s announcement marks the clearest signal yet that Reform is preparing for government, following a dramatic surge in polling that places the party ahead of both the governing Labour Party and the main opposition Conservatives. A poll by Find Out Now released this week puts Reform at 28%, with both main parties trailing at 20%. Such numbers would see Labour’s dominance shattered and Reform storming into government.
The speech also comes amid clear signs that the political establishment is starting to take the prospect of a Farage-led government seriously. The Economist this week published a profile declaring him “the man Britain cannot ignore.” The article acknowledges Farage’s populist appeal and the volatility his rise brings to British politics, even as the liberal magazine unsurprisingly criticises his political style.
Political analyst Matt Goodwin also noted that the latest policies are “designed to shore up [Reform’s] right flank” and that immigration is now the defining issue that transcends traditional party lines. As Goodwin highlighted, Reform is positioning itself to “cut across the Labour and Tory electorates alike,” capitalising on record-high public scepticism toward immigration.
Indeed, YouGov tracking suggests nearly half of Britons now believe immigration has been “mostly bad for Britain”—a stark shift since 2019. Reform’s focus on border control, ECHR withdrawal, and deportations of illegal migrants reflects this changing mood.
Farage has promised more policy detail in the coming weeks, while suggesting his party is preparing for the levers of power. “Only Reform will fix broken Britain,” a party statement declared following the latest poll shock. With Westminster watchers now seriously discussing the prospect of a Reform government, Thursday’s speech may mark not just another headline—but a turning point.