Nigel Farage has tonight made it clear he will challenge Labour’s latest efforts to reset Brexit “all the way.”
Speaking at a packed rally at London’s Excel Centre, the Reform UK leader criticised Keir Starmer’s attempts to strengthen ties with the EU, warning that it would solve none of Britain’s economic challenges and instead hand power to “unelected EU bureaucrats.”
Farage’s comments come amid reports that a senior ally of Sir Keir suggested the Prime Minister could take the UK “very close” to rejoining the single market, despite Labour’s manifesto pledge not to reverse Brexit.
Labour Eyes Closer EU Alignment
Over the weekend, Sir Keir sparked controversy when he told the BBC that closer ties with the EU’s single market were under consideration.
“I think we should get closer, and if it’s in our national interest to have even closer alignment with the single market, then we should consider that,” he said.
“If it’s in our interest to do so, we should take that step.”
Farage hit back, arguing that any move toward reversing Brexit would hurt Britain and ultimately backfire for Labour at the ballot box.
Farage Warns of a “Brexit Betrayal”
At the rally, Farage pointed to the declining global influence of the EU, now overshadowed by leaders like Donald Trump and Xi Jinping.
He accused Sir Keir of preparing a “Brexit betrayal,” claiming:
“Bit by bit, he is taking away the ability, not just of Parliament to make decisions, but of your rights as voters to decide who should take those decisions.
And I promise you, we will fight this giveaway, this surrender of our sovereignty, of our money, of our fishing grounds and everything else.
We’ll fight it tooth and nail. We’ll fight it all the way.”
Speaking to the Mail earlier, Farage added: “Everything that’s happening internationally proves the increasing irrelevance of the EU.
Economically, much of it is doing even worse than we are, yet a failing Prime Minister is reverting to type and signing us up to closer union.”
Reform Prepares Legal Challenge Over Delayed Elections
Farage also revealed that Reform UK is ready to challenge government plans to allow dozens of councils to delay local elections in May.
With the deadline for councils to accept the offer set for next Wednesday, Farage said the party was “primed and ready” to take the matter to court.
He warned that up to 10 million people could be deprived of their vote, in some cases for a second year running, calling the moves “the behaviour of a Banana Republic.”
Farage noted that this was happening not just under Labour but with “connivance in some counties of the Conservatives and the Lib Dems.”
London Rally Launches Local Election Campaign
Tonight’s event also served to launch Reform UK’s local election campaign in the capital and introduce Laila Cunningham as the party’s candidate to challenge Sadiq Khan in the 2028 mayoral race.
Farage aims to end London’s historic status as a no-go zone for Reform by focusing on crime.
The party hopes to win seats in six councils in the upcoming May elections.
Cunningham told the crowd:
“London, one of the greatest cities in the world, is no longer a safe city.
And that doesn’t happen by chance – that happened on Sadiq Khan’s watch.
I will be a new sheriff in town. I will launch an all-out war on crime.
And those rape gangs that have been ignored – they will have nowhere to hide.
There will be a reckoning for every single person who let those girls down.”
The Risks of Labour’s EU Shift
Farage used the rally to underline what he sees as the dangers of Labour’s shift toward Brussels.
Government ministers have already agreed to follow EU rules in areas like food and farming to ease access to the single market.
Upcoming legislation will introduce “dynamic alignment,” meaning UK laws will automatically update in line with new EU regulations.
While initially limited to food, farming, and electricity, ministers could expand this to other sectors.
Labour Biographer Suggests Even Bigger Brexit Reset
Tom Baldwin, Sir Keir’s biographer and an unofficial adviser, indicated that Labour’s Brexit reset could extend much further than anticipated.
He told Politico that the Prime Minister’s comments “opened up a whole range of possibilities,” suggesting that Labour might aim for a second-term mandate that brings the UK very close to rejoining the single market.
Brussels sources have reportedly warned that the UK could “pay to play,” potentially sending billions of pounds annually to the EU while agreeing to follow rules without any say in their formation.
What’s Next for Reform and Brexit?
With Farage’s legal challenges looming and the London local elections approaching, Reform UK is positioning itself as a key voice against Labour’s EU-leaning policies.
Tonight’s rally highlighted both the party’s focus on crime in London and its determination to defend British sovereignty on the international stage.
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