Nigel Farage set to announce surprising pick to be Reform’s Chancellor | Politics | News
Nigel Farage to announce shadow chancellor (Image: Getty)
Nigel Farage is set to confirm his pick for Reform England’s shadow Chancellor on Tuesday (February 17), which may come as a surprise to some. The rebel party leader is set to announce recently departed Robert Jenrick as his new man to take on Rachel Reeves.
The news could send shivers down the spines of deputy leader Richard Tice and policy chief Zia Yusuf, both of whom appear to be running for the top job. The briefing came ahead of a press conference at which Mr Farage will announce most of his shadow cabinet. It would be a deliberate move to take on claims that Reform UK is a ‘one man band’ and prove it has enough top team talent to form a Government after the next election.
Read more: Reform UK pledge to allow referendum on town seceding from London
Jenrick to be shadow chancellor (Image: Getty)
The Times claims that Mr Yusuf will be appointed as a shadow Home Secretary, while former Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi could be Yvette Cooper’s shadow at the Foreign Office. Mr Tice, the former party leader until Mr Farage regained control 19 months ago, will take charge of energy policy, trade and net zero, charges he has opposed for years.
Speaking at the Reform Britain rally on Monday night, Farage said he would be “relieved” to see Reform stars leading in policy areas. He said: “I think it’s time to properly distance ourselves from potential criticism that we’re a one-man band, I’ve been there for a few weeks and that’s why I’m doing this. [these appointments].”
“Am I worried? No, actually I’m relieved. I’m relieved that other people are occupying these large spaces and [a journalist’s] you will know who to call regarding a particular problem.
Zia Yusuf to be shadow Minister of Internal Affairs (Image: Getty)
Both Mr Jenrick and Mr Zahawi, along with former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and Romford MP Andrew Rosunull, left the Conservative Party in recent weeks. It is unknown what roles these MPs may be given.
Lee Anderson has been the party’s welfare spokesman since last year’s Birmingham conference and has announced policies on cutting PIP, the Motability scheme and the two-child benefit cap.
This evening Mr Farage slammed Sir Keir Starmer’s latest u-turn on canceling 30 local elections, branding him an “incompetent, useless, gutless, unpatriotic, PM’s loser”. He blasted: “Last year the government allowed elections to be canceled all over the country, which I thought was a disgrace.
“This year they’ve gone even further. The Labor government has said that if you want to cancel your election, you can cancel it.
“And of course many Labor counties have said they want to cancel the election, but at the same time many Conservative counties who have already canceled last year’s election have also said they want to cancel the election.
“For the second year in a row, the Conservatives colluded with the Labor government to prevent 4.6 million people from voting. These voters all pay council tax. “There’s an old principle in politics – the Americans taught us this: no taxes without representation.
“They threw in the towel today. I will not spend a day in the high court on Thursday. The government has given up and all 30 elections will be held.”
