Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has made a stark prediction about the next general election in a rallying call to millions of Britons next year.
Mr Farage, who delivered his 801-word New Year message overlooking the London skyline in Greenwich, set his sights on the 2026 Local Elections and suggested contests slated for May 7 could springboard Reform UK into power.
The Reform UK leader said: “I’ll make this prediction: if Reform win those elections, if we come top, it will put us way ahead of the other parties. Already, we’ve led for 175 opinion polls in a row.
“Our average lead is 10 per cent. If we get this right on May 7 this year, we will go on and win that general election. We will then absolutely have a chance of genuinely, fundamentally, change the whole system of government in Britain.”
Mr Farage has already celebrated Reform UK’s seismic breakthrough in the 2025 Local Elections after winning 676 wards across England, claiming control of 10 councils and picking up the parliamentary by-election of Runcorn & Helsby.
However, Sir Keir Starmer is facing fury after inviting local authorities to yet again cancel a number of contests slated for May 7, including newly created mayoral elections covering 5.4 million people.
Mr Farage said: “We’re seeing a Labour Government saying to those councils that if you want to cancel the elections, in some cases for the second year in a row, you can do so.
“And already East and West Sussex, controlled by the Conservatives, have said, thank you very much, we’ll cancel the elections. That is the kind of authoritarian country that we are now living in.
Nigel Farage delivered his 801-word New Year message overlooking the London skyline in Greenwich
|
REFORM UK
“They’re even beginning to take away our right to vote. Well, they’ll cancel some, but most of those elections will go ahead. They will be the single most important set of elections between now and the next general election.”
Despite railing against Sir Keir and local authorities working together to cancel polls, Mr Farage suggested victory on May 7 remains a priority for Reform UK and pointed to looming contests in Scotland, Wales and London.
The Clacton MP proceeded to set out why he believes Reform UK is now Britain’s last hope, with an eye clearly already looking forward to 2029.
He said: “We will then absolutely have a chance of genuinely, fundamentally changing the whole system of government in Britain. We may well be the last chance this country has to actually restore some proper values.”
Mr Farage, who himself is an avid popular historian, went on to point out Greenwich’s role when Britain was a leading naval power, particularly at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805
|
REFORM UK
The Reform UK leader added: “We cannot do this without you. And you will not get the change you want without us.
“So let me ask you one thing. Please make it your New Year’s resolution to do something. Support Reform. Join Reform.
“Go out and spread the message that we are the party of hope. We are the party of change. And we are genuinely the last chance for Britain.”
Reform UK is now the largest political party in Britain, with more than 270,000 paid-up members as of New Year’s Eve.
However, Mr Farage opened his 801-word New Year message by reflecting on 2025.
Nigel Farage also used his message to urge Britons to join Reform UK
|
REFORM UK
“As 2025 draws to a close, I can’t remember the country ever being gloomier,” Mr Farage said. “People are getting poorer. More people are becoming unemployed.
“Inflation is proving sticky and our debt is running completely out of control, with a Chancellor who doesn’t seem to have a clue what she’s doing. Worse than that, people are frightened now to walk down the street wearing a watch, wearing jewellery.
“Oh, and by the way, if you see anything rude on Facebook, you may well get a knock at the door. Well, I’ve come here today to Greenwich to have a think about what this country used to be, what it represented, and what it can become.”
Mr Farage, who himself is an avid popular historian, went on to point out Greenwich’s role when Britain was a leading naval power, particularly at the time of the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
Sir Keir Starmer previously spoke out about Mr El-Fattah in 2022 and celebrated his return on Boxing Day | PA
He continued: “That wasn’t just about winning the Battle of Trafalgar and it wasn’t just about building the biggest empire the world had ever seen. It was also about a Royal Navy that spent decades, at huge cost, driving slavery off the high seas.
“We have an enormous amount of our past to be proud of, and yet our education system under both of the last governments now teaches our kids to be ashamed of the past.”
The Reform UK leader, who earlier this year clashed with teaching unions, went on to promise to “make sure kids are taught correctly about our history”.
He also railed against Labour’s push towards Net Zero, warning Sir Keir is overlooking “technologies of growth” by pursuing “fanatical” climate change policies.
Reform UK claimed victory in the 2025 Local Elections
|
PA
However, Mr Farage also appeared keen to tie Kemi Badenoch’s Tories to Alaa Abd El-Fattah’s arrival in the UK on Boxing Day.
He said: “Here’s a guy that’s come out of Egypt, come back to Britain, who’s put out the most abominable, hateful tweets about killing Jews, killing white people, fighting the police.
“And this man was given citizenship by the Conservative Party and welcomed back into Britain by the Labour Party. Frankly, there is little to choose between the two.”
The 44-year-old Egyptian activist, who posted on social media about his hatred for white people and called for Londoners to burn down Downing Street, was granted British citizenship while the Conservative Party was in power.
LIBERAL DEMOCRATS
However, Mrs Badenoch has looked to distance herself from the previous Tory Government, calling for Mr Fattah’s deportation.
Meanwhile, Sir Keir welcomed the 44-year-old’s arrival on Boxing Day, having campaigned for his release from Egyptian prison in 2022.
GB News understands Mr Fattah, who has since apologised for his social media posts, is unlikely to be stripped of his citizenship as the fury does not centre around terrorism, extremism or fraud.
Mr Farage’s New Year message was released shortly after Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey blasted the Reform UK leader in his address.
Sir Ed celebrated “taking the fight to Nigel Farage – and winning”, referring to council seats contested throughout 2025.
Despite lauding Liberal Democrat victories over Reform UK, Mr Farage won the most seats in the 2025 Local Elections and subsequently picked up an additional 58 wards.