THE BLONDE, THE SAS MAN AND THE BUS: SECRETS OF THE REFORM PARTY CONFERENCE
How exactly do these three help Reform?
THE BLONDE
Despite all the toad-like caricatures, Nigel Farage has never had a problem attracting beautiful women. At this year’s party conference, there was one particularly significant female delegate: Holly Valance. During the election campaign, rumours that the Aussie actress and model might stand as a parliamentary candidate caused a brief flurry of excitement. It was only ever a tease. In fact, she and her fabulously rich property developer husband, Nick Candy, have been playing a much more important – and discreet – role in the party behind the scenes. Since Farage’s return, the couple has been central to a huge fund-raising effort, drawing from their extensive network of High Net Worth friends and business associates to find new donors. Earlier this month, they hosted a grand soiree for a couple of hundred potential supporters at their eye-popping Chelsea mansion. Wealthy guests were encouraged to dig deep to help propel Farage into Downing St in 2029. Quite how successful the evening proved is not yet clear: warm words, which flowed as freely as booze, are always easier to secure than cold hard cash. Watch out for the Electoral Commission’s next quarterly publication of donations to political parties.
THE SAS MAN
Knowing that back-to-back political speeches quickly become a snooze, all political party conference organisers try to break things up with surprise speakers. Very occasionally, they manage to wheel out some really big star. Luvvie-land being notoriously left-leaning, the Tories have always struggled to conjure up anyone exciting, generally resorting to bright-eyed “youth” supporters and earnest charity bosses in an attempt to liven up proceedings. Labour has a better record. In my time covering these events, both Bono and Bob Geldolf have been talked into making guest appearances.
While listening to the U2 frontman and Band Aid legend certainly alleviated the conference endurance test, I struggle to remember anything either of them said. I do recall Bono’s opening one-liner as he appeared on stage, to thunderous applause. Pausing for effect, he played Jesus, telling Labour fans: “You may kneel.”
Reform UK’s equivalent was Channel 4’s Who Dares Wins star Ant Middleton, a long-standing friend of Farage. While the former Special Forces operative cannot compete with Bono and Bob for global fame, his surprise turn in Birmingham was far more substantial than their waffle about world peace. In place of platitudes, the ex-SAS hardman offered a hard-hitting critical analysis of the sorry state of our nation – a speech that left no doubt about his political persuasions. His barnstorming presentation, delivered without props or notes, described how he runs training camps for contestants on his hit TV show, with clear rules and responsibilities for everyone. He highlighted both safety and shared identity as critical to a happy and well-functioning group - arguing that both are in short supply in Britain today.
Intriguingly, while Middleton is not currently a fully paid-up member of Reform UK (he will need to maintain some distance for the sake of his TV work) Middleton hinted that his appearance is part of a wider long term commitment to Farage’s party. Were Reform to win a very large number of seats at the next election, I would expect to see him in some sort of official role.
THE BUS (and the taxi.)
In a cavernous space like the Birmingham NEC, events need big props. Entertaining as it would have been to watch Ann Widdecombe enter by trapeze; the best the party could muster was a turquoise bus. Both Reform UK vehicles were inside the auditorium, with the top floor of the double-decker set aside for party chiefs and special guests to watch the speeches. It’s a cool vantage point and makes good use of the thing without the worry that it might conk out, as it has done on the election campaign trail in the past. (Party chiefs still shudder at the memory of it packing up on the motorway with a bunch of journalists on board – a sketchwriter’s dream.) Next to the bus was the Reform taxi, a former London black cab, which usually lives in Lincolnshire. Both vehicles are owned by the Reform’s deputy leader, my partner Richard Tice.
I have to say that when we first got together, it was not exactly the kind of luxury travel I had in mind. Nonetheless, he remains mightily pleased with his investment, using the taxi as a kind of mobile surgery in his Boston and Skegness constituency.
THE GAMBLE
Back in his UKIP days, Nigel Farage liked to hold his party’s annual conference at Doncaster Racecourse. It was a deliberately low-key affair that didn’t involve much more than a few cursory speeches before everyone called it a day and returned to their beers. This year’s event was totally different. Designed to mark Reform UK’s “coming of age,” it was a huge financial gamble. Hiring the NEC doesn’t come cheap, and security is a nightmare. Charging £50 a head, the party leadership was entering unknown territory. That figure is a multiple of what party members (many of whom are on low incomes) have traditionally paid for Reform UK events. With the event staged over two days, delegates also had to stump up for hotels. Initial ticket sales were sluggish – leading to sleepless nights. Happily for the party leadership, the punt paid off. They not only managed to sell an impressive 3000 passes, but also attracted some 5000 new members, at £25-a-head. Even better, no stupid protestors made it into the venue.
Farage and Yusuf 1; Led By Donkeys: Nil…..
The conference looked very impressive & professionally staged. Well done, if the constituency set up follows suit then Reform will go far.