Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has predicted strikes, protests and riots if his party enters government, warning that attempts to implement its proposed changes could trigger widespread opposition across Britain.
Speaking on an American podcast hosted by Trump-aligned media personality Benny Johnson, Farage compared a potential Reform UK government to the administrations of Margaret Thatcher, Ronald Reagan and Donald Trump, arguing that Britain risked becoming “a third-world country” if his party failed to win power and deliver change.
“As soon as we try and make a difference, there’ll be strikes, there’ll be protests, there’ll be riots, there’ll be abuse, there’ll be physical threats.”
Nigel Farage
His remarks coincide with increased examination of Reform UK’s proposed immigration, public spending, and government reform plans, some of which may encounter opposition from impacted communities, public sector employees, and civil society organisations.
Farage’s Hardline Policies Raise Prospect of Public Backlash
Farage’s prediction of widespread unrest follows a series of controversial policy announcements by Reform UK, particularly on immigration and border enforcement.
The party has proposed ending asylum for five years and pursuing mass deportations, measures that could generate significant opposition from migrant-rights organisations, affected communities and campaigners.
Reform UK has also faced criticism after Robert Jenrick suggested that Royal Marines could fire on migrants attempting to cross the English Channel in small boats. The party subsequently retreated from the suggestion, following the controversy surrounding the proposal.
Farage has separately pledged to bring Tom Homan, a prominent adviser on US immigration enforcement under President Donald Trump, to Britain to help implement the party’s border policies.
“I want to bring Tom Homan over here to secure our borders,” Farage stated, outlining his ambition to pursue mass deportations.
Homan helped design the family-separation policy implemented during Trump’s first administration and has become a central figure in the current US administration’s immigration crackdown.
Reform UK has also threatened to cut government spending by £100 billion within the first 100 days of taking office. The proposed reductions could affect public services, government employment and welfare spending, potentially intensifying opposition to the party’s programme.
Poll Shows Reform Support Under Pressure
His remarks follow a year-long decline in Reform UK’s polling support. A recent poll put the party on 21%, representing a 12-percentage-point decline over the previous 12 months. The findings indicate growing pressure on Reform as it seeks to translate its political momentum into sustained electoral support.
Moreover, concerns have emerged about how a potential Reform government could affect Britain’s constitutional arrangements and the independence of key public institutions.
Leading historian Lord Peter Hennessy warned that a Reform administration could fundamentally alter the country’s constitutional framework.
He cautioned that such a government could “rip up the constitution, and the way we recruit and promote our senior civil servants, and indeed would interfere in the choice of judges, I fear.”
Hennessy added that “so much would go in one” and “we’d crumble, and it would be very hard to get it back.”
He also considered what he called one of his “greatest shocks,” which was witnessing how Britain’s constitutional arrangements may be undermined by a prime leader who either ignored or failed to comprehend the principles that support the system.
In addition, Akiko Hart, Director at Liberty, argued that “the UK’s constitution is vulnerable because it relies on convention. We can’t rely on good faith and informal agreements when our democracy and the rule of law could be put at risk.”
“If we want to protect the rights and freedoms we all value, then it is critical that the government puts safeguards in place that provide checks and balances against overreach, including defending judicial review.”
American Influence Shapes Concerns Over Reform’s Future
Farage’s appearance also brought into focus the similarities between Reform UK’s political stance and the Trump administration’s approach.
Johnson, the podcast host, is a supporter of ICE and a Trump-aligned media personality who is facing a defamation lawsuit brought by two Illinois residents over comments he made about them during protests outside an ICE detention centre.
The claimants allege that they were participating in peaceful demonstrations, were released without charge, and were falsely described by Johnson as “left-wing terrorists.”
The case remains unresolved, and no finding of liability has been made.
The dispute provides further context for the political environment surrounding the podcast appearance, which featured Farage discussing immigration enforcement, national sovereignty, and the potential consequences of a Reform UK government.
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