Adam Goldsmith
Live reporter

Image source, PA Media

Reform party members were in a jubilant mood today, as the party's Birmingham conference aligned with news of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's departure from government.

Soon after Rayner announced she would be resigning after underpaying tax on a flat purchase in Hove, Reform party leader Nigel Farage sought to capture the moment by giving his headline speech three hours early.

After a rush for seats, the crowds at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre were urged by Farage to "be ready" for an early general election in 2027 - though one isn’t expected until 2029.

Watching on, our correspondent Nick Eardley describes how it's hard to overstate the confidence at the Reform party's conference.

We've got a full rundown of Farage's performance and promises on stage - which had touches of Donald Trump's campaign as the Clacton MP pledged to "make Britain great again".

Today's event is the first of the party conferences that take place in the autumn and Reform looked to drum up anticipation when it welcomed ex-Tory minister Nadine Dorries to its ranks last night.

Invited on stage by Farage, she told supporters in the hall that Reform is the "party of the moment" - and our reporter at the conference says a lot has changed for the party in a year.

We're ending our live coverage here, but you can have a read of our news story for the full picture on Nigel Farage's speech to the Reform party conference.

Are the rich leaving the UK?published at 15:13 BST 5 September

15:13 BST 5 September

By Ben Chu

In his speech at the Reform UK conference this lunchtime Nigel Farage said “the rich are leaving” and pledged that his party would “end this disastrous exodus”.

This claim is largely based on a report by wealth advisory firm Henley & Partners, external which has projected 16,500 more US dollar millionaires will leave the UK in 2025 than will arrive.

The company works with “global wealth intelligence firm” New World Wealth which says it “tracks the movements of more than 150,000 highnet-worth individuals [globally] in its in-house database”., external

New World Wealth says it "uses various public sources to check city locations, including LinkedIn and other business portals”.

But analysts say this is not a reliable way to track migration.

Further, the Tax Policy Associates think tank has cast further doubt on the credibility of the New World Wealth figures, arguing they “can’t be trusted”, external.

Independent tax researchers have told BBC Verify that wealthy people move countries for different reasons unrelated to tax and stress it’s the net additional flow that matters - and we do not yet have the necessary information to determine how many wealthy people have left the UK this year.

Unsurprisingly, the mood in the conference hall is buoyant after Nigel Farage’s speech.

Plenty of new members are here and I spoke to one of them, Suzy Hall.

She says the words on many people’s lips were “seismic change”.

“There is such an air of movement,” she says.

“The air around the Conservatives is stale. The air around Labour is fetid. And this is fresh air.”

Elsewhere at the Birmingham National Exhibition Centre, Ethan Powell says he is “buzzing” and described Farage’s speech as “absolutely electric”.

“He brings hope to many of us,” Ethan says. “Loads of people are here because they love their country and they want to see a country that actually works.”

Farage has his critics, but you won’t find many of them here.

Harry Farley
Political correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Nigel Farage welcomed Nadine Dorries with a hug, saying she would help Reform UK with what he admitted was a “weakness” – their lack of experience in government.

She will now be part of a new department in the party to prepare for what they hope will be a time in power.

But her acceptance into Reform UK is not without controversy.

I was speaking to one party figure who recalled her time as a health minister during the Covid-19 lockdowns – which the person I was speaking too strongly opposed – and also her role as architect of the Online Safety Act, which Reform UK now promises to scrap.

This person said they want an apology from her, and evidence she had changed her mind on both areas.

Reform UK’s expansion is obviously a positive for their supporters. But how they grow – and to what extent they accept defecting Tories – is leading to potential conflicts within its hierarchy.

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the conference

A big theme of Farage’s speech was the party’s progress on professionalisation.

I came to the conference here last year, and there was a sense that Reform had a lot to do before it was ready to seriously challenge for power.

One party source told us: “We are not yet worthy of government.”

A lot has changed since then. The party has adopted a constitution, massively expanded its membership, rolled out a network of local branches, won control of councils across England and now - according to Farage - they’re opening a “department for preparing for government”.

But professionalisation can only take political parties so far.

Fleshing out policy and proving Reform can govern the councils it controls will be big tests in the months and years ahead.

Rival parties will be watching closely to pounce on any mistakes.

Image source, Getty Images

Crowds at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre were forced to rush to take in the day's headline act, as party leader Nigel Farage delivered his speech three hours earlier than anticipated.

Here's what they heard when the MP for Clacton took to the stage:

• Farage told the conference that he had opted for an earlier speech in response to the news of Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner's resignation, saying it showed the government was "deep in crisis"
• Reform, he said, is a "party on the rise", and urged supporters to be ready for a 2027 general election - though one isn't expected until 2029
• In support of this, Farage referenced his party's success at local elections - and pointed to latest Reform MP Sarah Runcorn's by-election victory as the "icing on the cake"
• Midway through, Farage took time to celebrate another triumph, offering Conservative defector Nadine Dorries the chance to declare Reform "the party of the moment"
• The Reform leader later made reference to Donald Trump's administration, as Farage promised to "make Britain great again" and touted the successes of his own DOGE unit that is tackling councils' "wasteful spending"
• Among the promises made by Farage was a suggestion that Reform would stop the small boats within "two weeks" of an election victory, as well as pledges to make "serious cuts" to the UK's welfare budget

• Finishing with the announcement of Zia Yusuf as a new head of policy, Farage left the audience with assurances that his teams are now preparing for government, saying: "we're just beginning"

The one word to sum up Farage's addresspublished at 14:10 BST 5 September

14:10 BST 5 September

Nick Eardley
Reporting from the conference

Image source, PA Media

If there is one word to sum up Nigel Farage’s speech, it is: confidence.

The Reform UK leader has momentum, and he wants to keep it.

He has made it clear over the past hour that he thinks the polls are right – Reform could be heading for power.

There is a long way to go. There are big questions over spending and policy.

But Farage wants us all to think Reform in government is a realistic prospect.

And many MPs from other parties are worried he might be right.

Nick Eardley
Reporting from the conference

Image source, Reuters

Is Reform confident?

I think we just got a sense that the answer is unambiguously, yes.

Nigel Farage is setting up a department in the party to prepare for government.

Former chairman Zia Yusuf will oversee policy.

“I think we are on our way,” Farage says.

Farage leaves the audience with these three words, as he begins to exit the stage.

As he waves goodbye, he’s met with blaring music from the conferences PA system and bid farewell by the smoke effects emitting from the stage.

The Reform UK leader's speech has ended, but stick with us as we continue to bring you analysis from our correspondents and a round-up of what Farage had to say.

Farage announces Zia Yusuf as head of policy to "bring all of this together".

Farage then goes on to tease "others with experience" will be joining the party, and says Reform will open a "department for preparing for government" so it can "hit the ground running" if it wins the next general election.

Farage says he promised one year ago he would "professionalise" and "democratise" the party.

Now, he says, he promises he will "give this everything".

Most of all we need to make Britain proud again, says Farage.

"We’ve lost our sense of who we are," he adds, saying this includes our refusal to publicly acknowledge "the Judeo-Christian culture and heritage" that we have and that underpins everything "that we are".

Reform UK also will refuse to "have our kids minds poisoned in schools and universities with a twisted interpretation of these amazing islands", says Farage.

Image source, Reuters

On to the environment, Farage says that Reform UK will scrap "harmful, wasteful" net zero polices.

Britain will instead produce its own oil and gas, he tells a cheering crowd.

"We will end full subsidises on renewable energy...we will reindustrialise Britain, making things we want and need," Farage says.

He claims that this will save huge amounts, like their DOGE unit is doing with local councils.

Farage doesn't reveal how Reform UK will achieve this.

Nigel Farage's has finished speaking at Reform UK's annual conference, but stick with us as we continue to bring you key lines from his address.

Continuing with what Reform would do in power, Farage says he would "bring back genuine stop and search on our streets" to tackle knife crime.

He adds he would "deport foreign criminals" and reiterates that Reform would stop small boat crossings from France "within two weeks of winning government".

But he does not elaborate on how this would be achieved.

"You cannot come here illegally and stay," he says.

For context: Farage and Reform UK politicians have often referred to people awaiting asylum decisions as “illegal migrants”. But it is not illegal to seek asylum in the UK, under the 1951 Refugee Convention.

Jennifer McKiernan
Reporting from the conference

Conference attendees are now hearing Farage begin to list off some of his party's pledges, starting with a promise to "stop the boats within two weeks" if Reform is elected to government.

And he praises those who go out to work, saying benefits culture must end and promises to outline "some serious cuts to the welfare budget in this country" in the next few weeks.

Farage also talks about free speech, pledging Reform will "police the streets and not the tweets".

For context: Reform UK laid out their plans to deport 600,000 migrants over five years if it won power at the next election. Labour has branded the proposals unworkable, while the Conservatives have accused Reform of copying ideas they announced earlier this year.

Joshua Nevett
Reporting from the conference

Image source, PA Media

Nigel Farage is promising to “make Britain great again”.

It echoes “Make America Great Again”, the famous slogan of US President Donald Trump.

A reminder that Farage considers himself to be a close ally of Trump, and met him at the White House earlier this week, after an appearance in front of a congressional committee in the US.

Jennifer McKiernan
Reporting from the conference

Nigel Farage returns to the stage and assures attendees in Birmingham that Reform will deliver on its promises.

He says the country "is in a very bad place", adding: "We are the last chance the country's got to get this country back on track.

"Let's make Britain great again."

Talking about England flags being hoisted on lampposts across the country he shouts they are "two fingers up" to the British establishment.

Farage wants to deliver one key messagepublished at 13:32 BST 5 September

13:32 BST 5 September

Joe Pike
Political Correspondent

Image source, Reuters

Preparedness for power seems to be one of Nigel Farage’s key messages today.

He argues Reform “must be ready” for an election as soon as 2027 - although Keir Starmer is more likely to call one in 2029.

After his party's success at May’s local and mayoral elections, Farage is clear Reform's next opportunity is coming very soon.

He says the 2026 Scottish Parliament and Welsh Senedd elections are “an essential building block” ahead of a general election. “We will take that seriously," he argues.

Farage says he needs 5,000 vetted candidates by next year.

Jennifer McKiernan
Reporting from the conference

Image source, PA Media

Farage welcomes Nadine Dorries to the stage, saying the latest Tory defector to Reform UK "crosses the boundaries" between politician and celebrity and will help Reform deal with the civil service with her cabinet experience.

"We have a weakness that none of our senior figures have ever been in government before," Farage says, talking of "barriers" being raised by the civil service to Reform-run councils.

"We need people who understand just how the system works and what the difficulties are."

• A reminder: Dorries, the ex-MP for Mid Bedfordshire, defected from the Conservative Party last night, telling the Daily Mail: "The Tory Party is dead. Its members now need to think the unthinkable and look to the future"

Buoyed by the polls, Farage projects confidencepublished at 13:26 BST 5 September

13:26 BST 5 September

Nick Eardley
Reporting from the conference

It’s hard to overstate the confidence at this conference.

Buoyed by the polls, Nigel Farage believes Reform winning power is a realistic prospect.

He think the general election could come early because of the troubles Labour is having.

He’s telling his party to get ready.

But a lot could happen before the next election.

There will be more scrutiny – and in a rapidly growing party, there’s always the prospect of internal division too.

The Reform leader says that the real "icing on the cake" in May was Sarah Pochin's success in the Runcorn by-election.

The next step will be even bigger, Farage says, suggesting that Reform will compete seriously in elections in Wales and Scotland.

Farage says too that his party will defeat Sadiq Khan in the London mayoral race the next time around.

He says these elections next year are an essential building block as the party heads towards the next general election - which must be held by the end of 2029.