PULSE POINTS:
❓What Happened: Nigel Farage has urged the British government to appoint a minister focused on deportations.
👥 Who’s Involved: Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform Party, and Robert Jenrick, former Conservative Party leadership candidate.
📍 Where & When: Farage spoke at a press conference in Dover, England, on April 24.
💬 Key Quote: “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical. It’s actually just common sense,” Farage stated.
⚠️ Impact: Farage’s comments precede English local elections in May, which will be a significant test of whether Reform’s growing popularity can translate into votes.
IN FULL:
Nigel Farage, leader of the Reform Party, has proposed the establishment of a ministerial post dedicated to deportations within the Home Office, roughly equivalent to the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS). “What I’m calling for isn’t actually anything particularly radical. It’s actually just common sense,” he said.
Farage delivered these statements at a press conference in Dover, England, amid ongoing local election campaigning. These elections will test Reform’s popularity and assess how it translates to voter turnout. Reform leads in some polls nationally, but it remains unclear how many seats that could translate to on May 1.
Farage also addressed the possibility of a political alliance with the formerly governing Conservatives, following former Conservative leadership contender Robert Jenrick‘s comments suggesting a united front on the right to challenge the ruling Labour Party. Farage stated unequivocally that his party’s supporters would resist any attempt to form an agreement with the Conservative Party, given its record governing from the left from 2010 to 2024 and broken promises on mass migration, which reached unprecedented heights towards the end of their final term.
Farage expressed outright distrust towards the Conservatives, positioning Reform as an alternative poised to replace them on the political right. Farage has advocated for a policy of net-zero migration, meaning that the number of immigrants should be no more than the number of people emigrating from the country.
WATCH:
Reform UK are the only party prepared to do what’s necessary to deport people who have entered the country illegally.
We will create a Minster for Deportations if we win the next General Election. pic.twitter.com/z3bS7PnBBg
— Reform UK (@reformparty_uk) April 24, 2025