Nigel Farage has unveiled his “shadow cabinet” with two Tory defectors set to serve on the Reform UK frontbench.
The Reform leader proposed a “new super economics and business department” modelled “on what the Germans did after World War Two”.
While the party also said it would "repeal the Equality Act" on day one if it wins the next general election.
- Robert Jenrick, the former immigration minister under the last Conservative government, is Reform UK’s Treasury spokesman.
- Ex-Tory Home Secretary Suella Braverman will be the party’s education, skills and equalities spokeswoman.
- Zia Yusuf was revealed as the party’s home affairs spokesman.
- Richard Tice was announced as the spokesman for business, trade and energy, and would lead a proposed new "super department" aimed at increasing growth to 4% of GDP.
Two former Conservatives and two men who have not yet been elected as MPs being promoted to the Reform frontbench sparked criticism from political rivals.
Chair of the Labour Party Anna Turley said: “Farage’s top team of failed Tories spent over 3,000 days inflicting untold damage on our country in government.”
Mr Jenrick told the event in London that the party would be focused on cutting taxes, scaling back welfare and "oppose the wrecking ball that is [Chancellor] Rachel Reeves and this Labour Government".
The Newark MP said Reform would be looking at the issue of youth unemployment, which he claimed was higher than in other parts of Europe.
"We're going to set out our economic plans tomorrow, but it's going to be about reducing bills, having a sensible energy policy to make our country more competitive once again, reducing taxes as we can, and bring back good jobs in all parts of the country,” he said.
Mr Yusuf promised the party would cut both legal and illegal migration, including by withdrawing from any international treaty preventing mass deportations.
He said: "More people have turned up on our beaches uninvited in the last seven years than stormed the beaches of Normandy on D-Day."
He told the London rally: "Those people, instead of being detained and deported, have been given free accommodation, free meals, free access to healthcare, free taxis, free leisure activities at the expense of the British people, to the tune of tens of billions of pounds every single year."
He described the situation as the "the most profound betrayal of the British electorate in history", adding: "If you are in this country illegally right now and you are watching this, I want to be crystal clear: as Reform's home secretary, I will ensure that you are deported from these lands.”
Ms Braverman, who was twice sacked as home secretary under the last Conservative government, was made Reform's spokeswoman for education and equalities just weeks after joining the party.
She said Reform would set a target of 50% of young people going into "trades" rather than to university and scrap the equalities department.
The MP for Fareham and Waterlooville announced that her new party would "repeal the Equality Act” and scrap the equalities minister job if Reform were elected.
She said: “Why does no one in this Government seem to care that it's white working-class boys who have the worst educational outcomes in our country today?
“Do you know what a Reform government will do? Well, on day one, we will get rid of the equalities department, we will scrap the equalities minister.
“And we will repeal the Equality Act, because we are going to work to build a country defined by meritocracy not tokenism, personal responsibility not victimhood, excellence not mediocrity, and unity not division.”
Prior to Mr Jenrick's defection, Mr Tice had been regarded as potential economic spokesmen for Reform and leads the party’s cost-cutting DOGE unit.
But the party’s deputy leader, was named as the spokesman for business, trade and energy, proposing a new "super department".
He said the party would focus on using oil and gas to help boost the economy and would abandon net-zero targets. He added that the party would also create a "serious" British wealth fund.
Responding to the Reform announcements, Chair of the Labour Party Anna Turley said: “Farage’s top team of failed Tories spent over 3,000 days inflicting untold damage on our country in government, trashing our economy, hammering families’ mortgages, and leaving our borders open.
“They failed Britain before – they’d do the same again under Reform.
“Today’s appointments clearly reveal that neither keeping our nation safe nor tackling NHS waiting lists are priorities for Farage or Reform UK.”
