Nigel Farage and Reform are campaigning around the country in the local elections and consistently polling higher than the other parties. Reform’s campaign started with a series of rallies for supporters and candidates, where they asked attenders who were not already members to join the party and put their names forward as candidates. Now Farage is on a busy schedule of walkabouts and meet-ups with prospective councillors and supporters around the country.
Nigel Farage shows his colours.
Farage on a high street walkabout with a prospective councillor and billionaire backer, Nick Candy, at the Braintree Outlet Village shopping centre in Essex, 24 April.
Farage on a high street walkabout in Shipley, Yorkshire, 22 April.
Farage on a high street walkabout meeting supporters and prospective councillors in Great Dunmow, near Uttlesford, 17 April.
Farage meets a fan in a barber shop in Great Dunmow, and some friends with their dogs in Waltham Abbey, 17 April.
At the end of a long day that included Waltham Abbey then Harlow, meeting prospective councillors and going for a walkabout, during which a man rushed out of the barber’s mid-haircut to greet him and do a selfie.
Farage on a high street walkabout in Crowborough, 15 April.
Then came a visit to Crowborough, where among others Sir Arthur Conan Doyle and Kim Philby lived. The high street was fairly empty, apart from other members of the press, when Farage was shown round by prospective councillors.
Farage at the site of a cadet training camp that he had visited as a schoolboy that now houses asylum seekers, speaking to photographers, including me.
Last year the government announced that about 500 people seeking asylum in the UK would be housed in an army camp on the outskirts of the town in East Sussex. Protests followed and a local volunteer patrol group was started.
After the walkabout Farage went to the camp, which he explained he had visited as a cadet while at school. At the camp he did video for Reform’s YouTube channel and other social media.
Farage on the high street in Crawley, 15 April.
Then it was on to Crawley for another walkabout (where, among other people, he meet a group from the Chagos islands), before ending up in Redhill, 15 April.
Farage at a candidate meet-up at a pub, where he chatted and posed for a group photo, 15 April.
The day ended with a visit to Redhill. Among luminaries who have lived there was Bernard Bresslaw, who was famous as a stalwart of the Carry On Films, Ronnie Biggs, who was living in Alpine Road when he was arrested there for his part in the Great Train Robbery, author Nick Hornby and occultist Aleister Crowley. Happily, there was no satanic naked dancing at the Dog and Duck pub during the meet-and-greet with prospective councillors and supporters.
Farage on a walkabout with Reform candidates for the local council elections in Dagenham, 10 April.
There is a walkabout in Dagenham, where 60s stars Dudley Moore, Sandie Shaw and 1966 England manager Sir Alf Ramsey lived. The town is also famous for the Ford sewing machinists strike of 1968, dramatised in the film Made in Dagenham. More recently the town made the news on 26 August 2024 because of the Spectrum tower block fire, which engulfed a building with cladding similar to Grenfell. Luckily, this time, a major disaster was averted.
Farage at a candidate meet-up in the Forester pub in Chigwell on 10 April.
Farage takes a call and a break after photos at the Forester pub in Chigwell.
After the walkabout, it’s off to the Forester pub in Chigwell to meet prospective councillors, take questions and have photos taken.
Farage posing for photos at the Bird in Hand pub in Bromley.
A walkabout in Welling – always with his security.
More selfies on a walkabout in Welling, where Kate Bush grew up and, infamously, the British National party had its headquarters for five years until the council shut it down after large anti-racist protests.
After meeting people in Welling the day finishes with a meeting with supporters and prospective councillors in the Bird in Hand pub in Bromley and, finally, individual photos with each person.
After a press conference at the Saunders Club in Bedworth with Siobhan, the mother of Rhiannon Whyte, who was murdered by an asylum seeker, Farage went on another walkabout, with lots of young people on school holidays wanting selfies.
Many industries have gone – the first alloy-bodied Jaguar XK120s were built here in 1948. Some manufacturing remains – Toye, Kenning & Spencer specialises in making hats, banners, flags, medal ribbons and Masonic regalia. Pete Doherty attended the Nicholas Chamberlaine school and Conrad Keely of the American band ...And You Will Know Us By the Trail of Dead was a resident.
Robert Jenrick, MP and Reform’s shadow chancellor, joined Farage to hold a press conference on pensions, followed by a tea party with supporters afterwards.
Over Easter weekend Farage was in London for a press conference, where he made an Easter message for his supporters that went out on Reform social channels.
Nigel Farage about to go on stage in Norwich, Norfolk, 31 March.
A quiet moment for Farage while out campaigning and meeting supporters in Felixstowe, Suffolk, 23 March.
Protesters at one of Farage’s campaign stops in Felixstowe.
A walkabout with councillors in late March was cut short in Felixstowe, when there was a small protest after his tea shop stop. In the places that Nigel Farage has visited, there has been the occasional cry of “not welcome” or “despicable man” but generally he has had a warm welcome.
Farage poses for photos with local council candidates and supporters before a rally at the Circus Tavern entertainment complex in Grays, 18 March.
Farage had his photo taken with prospective candidates and supporters before the event. Among the coming attractions were an Ultra Mixed Martial Arts event, a show from Katie Hopkins Free Range tour and comedian Jim Davidson performing in his Last Man Standing … Just tour.
Farage speaks to a rally in Basingstoke Hampshire, 10 March.
A Basingstoke rally kicked off a day in Hampshire, and then it was on to Portsmouth to the pub and then to look around the Tower and the old docks, on the day that HMS Dragon was due to leave for Cyprus.
Farage visits the oldest pub the Wellington, Portsmouth, 10 March.
Farage at an old fort that overlooks the estuary, 10 March.
At a press conference in London on local government with mayoral candidate Laila Cunnningham, the former Labour mayor of Newham Sir Robin Wales and ex-councillor Clive Furness announced they had joined Reform UK.
Farage leaves a press conference with mayoral candidate Laila Cunnningham, 4 March.
Farage speaks at a rally and press conference at the NEC Birmingham with all the Reform MPs plus talkshow Jeremy Kyle, 9 February.
One of a series of rallies in January and February that kicked off the Reform election campaign.
Farage at a veterans’ rally at old Billingsgate market London, where ex-Tory home secretary Suella Braverman announced she was joining Reform, 26 January.
Audience members at a rally in Newark – Jenrick’s constituency, 19 January.
Too good to be true: Farage has a dance to Frankie Valli’s version of Can’t Keep my Eyes off You after a speech in Romford, 16 February.
Local elections are notoriously unreliable barometers for predicting general election results. But this time, as the government finds every available hole to fall into - or, if necessary, digs one of its own - things may prove to be different.
