God. You just knew this was coming, didn't you?
Nigel Farage has thrown down teh gauntlet to Keir Starmer's government with a bombshell pledge that Reform UK councils will flat-out refuse to house asylum seekers in their areas. I watched his speech in County Durham yesterday (where Reform just replaced Labour as the largest party), and the crowd went absolutely wild. This is exactly what his base has been screaming for.
The North Gets "Dumped On" (Farage's Words, Not Mine)
Speaking with that trademark combative style, Farage claimed asylum seekers were being "dumped" into northern communities while getting "everything for free." His exact words: "It is unfair, it is irresponsible, it is wrong in every way and I don't believe Starmer has got the guts to deal with it."
I've covered Farage since 2016, and this feels different. More confident. More aggressive.
This puts Reform on a direct collision course with the Home Office, which manages the entire asylum system. My contact at the Home Office texted me last night: "Total constitutional nightmare brewing. Nobody knows how this plays out."
Where Reform Now Rules the Roost
Reform has taken control of an astonishing number of councils: Durham, Kent, Lincolnshire, Lancashire, Staffordshire, Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire county councils. Plus Doncaster, North Northamptonshire and West Northamptonshire.
That's a lot of territory to implement what Farage is calling "the end of two-party politics" and the "beginning of the end" of Kemi Badenoch's Tories.
Trump-Style "Back to the Office" Mandate Coming
Remember when I wrote about Trump's return-to-office plans back in March? Farage is now copying that playbook almost exactly. He's promised to end work-from-home arrangements for council employees and (this is where it gets spicy) sack staff working on climate change or diversity initiatives.
Brutal.
Farage told the BBC he wants to copy Elon Musk's Department of Government Efficiency (Doge) approach. "Every county needs a Doge," he declared, promising "increased productivity from staff." Having spent time in council offices last year for a different story, I can tell you there are plenty of empty desks on any given day... but forcing everyone back? That'll be messy.
The Six-Vote Squeaker That Changed Everything
Beyond the councils, Reform also snatched the mayoralty of Greater Lincolnshire adn won the Labour parliamentary seat of Runcorn and Helsby by just SIX votes. Six! I've had more people than that in my kitchen this morning.
They scored another major victory in East Yorkshire where Olympic boxer Luke Campbell (remember him from London 2012?) won the mayoral race with 48,910 votes. The Lib Dems came second with 35,510, pushing the Tories into third and Labour into a humiliating fourth place.
Starmer's "I Get It" Moment Falls Flat
Poor Keir. The PM is trying to put a brave face on what's clearly a disaster for Labour just months into his premiership. I was at his press conference yesterday (freezing my butt off outside that weapons factory in Luton), where he attempted damage control.
"I could stand here and say Runcorn was close, we successfully defended three mayoralties, and the opposition parties tend to do well in these sorts of elections," he said, looking genuinely rattled. "But I'm not going to do that. What I am going to do is to respond by saying: I get it."
He then pivoted to talking about delivering NHS appointments, which felt... disconnected from the electoral earthquake happening around him.
Are We Witnessing a Tory-Reform Merger in Slow Motion?
The most fascinating subplot in all this: Starmer's accusation that the Tories and Reform are planning some kind of merger or coalition. He went for the jugular on this one.
"If you're a Tory voter who doesn't want a pro-Russia foreign policy, how does a merger with Reform work for you? If you're a Reform voter that thinks the Tories have failed for 14 years, how does a merger or coalition with the Tories work for you?"
He added: "Both sets of voters are being conned, because behind the scenes and behind the leader of the opposition, other people are looking for a coalition of these two parties. It would be a disaster for Britain."
Back in 2019, I bet my editor £50 that Farage would eventually rejoin the Conservatives. Looking like I might collect on that one after all...
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