Nigel Farage vows to face down RIOTS in crusade against Britain's benefits bill

Dan McDonald
Fri, 24 Apr 2026 05:38:17 +0000

Nigel Farage has vowed to face down strikes, protests and riots in a crusade to slash Britain's ballooning benefits bill.

The Reform UK leader said a "massive change of thought" was needed on the welfare system - with the country needing to toughen up and shrug off handouts for things like "mild anxiety".

"I'm sorry, but mild anxiety is not a reason to be on disability benefit - it just isn't. We can't afford it, it can't continue," he told the Mail.

"And there'll be riots, and there'll be strikes and there'll be protests, and we know all of that, but that's what we're going to have to do. It has to be done. We just can't afford it now."

His party is set to unveil radical proposals after the local elections which would cut tens of billions of pounds of tax-funded payouts.

They could require the millions of so-called "inactive" people around the country to look for a job.

Mr Farage also said Reform was taking over the mantle of the "party of working people" in a major challenge to Sir Keir Starmer's floundering Labour.

"I'm sorry, but as I go around the country... I now believe there's one big divide in British society: those that work and those that don't," he said.

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Pension row erupts as Labour urged to 'start listening' to retirement system overhaul concerns

Ministers have been urged to heed cross-party opposition after the Labour Government was handed a substantial defeat in the House of Lords on Wednesday evening over pension scheme mandation powers.

Peers voted against the Government by 234 to 152, a margin of 82 votes, on proposals that would enable ministers to compel defined contribution schemes to invest according to Government priorities.

Steve Webb, former Pensions Minister and partner at LCP, warned that without concessions, the entire Pension Schemes Bill risks collapsing before the parliamentary session concludes next week, as the Commons and Lords would fail to reach agreement on a final version.

The Bill encompasses numerous provisions that have received broad support across the pensions industry.

READ THE FULL STORY HERE

Nigel Farage expresses concerns over Donald Trump's Iran stance

Reform UK leader, Nigel Farage is "starting to worry slightly" about President Donald Trump's judgement over the growing tensions in the Middle East as the ceasefire becomes increasingly fragile.

He said, speaking to the Daily Mail: "I do, as a friend, worry slightly about his judgment on this, yes. I do.

"It will be a terribly sad end to an amazing political career if the man that was always anti-war in the end gets (brought) down by this – I struggle to understand it."

Priti Patel on Falkland Islands threat: 'Britain needs a leader, not a lawyer'

Speaking to GB News Shadow Home Secretary Priti Patel said that Sir Keir Starmer needs to show we "actually cares about the United Kingdom" and that his "feebleness" can potentially be exploited by other nations.

She said: "Keir Starmer must protect British sovereignty and show he actually cares about the United Kingdom.

"Allies and adversaries alike can see Starmer’s feebleness and this is what they are looking to exploit.

"Britain needs a leader, not a lawyer, who has failed to ask basic questions about our national security and who is putting Britain's standing in the world in jeopardy."

Kevin Hollinrake: Peter Mandelson scandal is 'complete mess'

Kevin Hollinrake MP, Conservative Party Chair said the Peter Mandelson scandal was a "complete mess", and it comes down to Sir Keir Starmer's judgement.

Speaking to GB News this morning, he said: "It was clear from the start that the Prime Minister wanted Lord Mandelson as ambassador at all costs - at any cost."

He acknowledged that more light needed to be shed on the situation and anticipates more will be revealed after Morgan McSweeney (Sir Keir's former chief of staff) will sit for the Commons Foreign Affairs Select Committee next week, as Sir Olly Robbins and Cat Little did this week.

WATCH: President Trump should be taken 'seriously' but not 'literally' following Falkland Islands rumours, says Conservative Party Chair

Kevin Hollinrake MP, Conservative Party Chair said, speaking to GB News this morning, that Mr Trump should be taken "seriously" but not "literally", admitting that the UK has managed the Iran situation "poorly", getting the President "off-side".

He said: "It is fair to say we are not in a good position with President Trump right now."

He continued to say that any relationship with Mr Trump is not "straightforward", but he hoped the special relationship will get back on an "even keel", particularly after King Charles will visit America in the summer.

Donald Trump could punish Keir Starmer for Iran inaction by backing ARGENTINA over Falkland Islands

President Donald Trump could punish Sir Keir Starmer for his inaction over Iran by backing Argentina's claim to the Falkland Islands.

An email circulating within the Pentagon outlines potential US responses to what it sees as inadequate support from NATO allies in the Iran conflict, including suspending Spain from the alliance and reassessing its stance on the Falkland Islands.

The memo expresses frustration over some allies’ reluctance to join the war or grant the US access to airbases and overflight rights (ABO) for Operation Fury, the paused US-Israeli offensive against Iran.

It wrote ABO is "just the absolute baseline for Nato", according to a US official who spoke to Reuters under anonymity.

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Nigel Farage RULES OUT pact with Tories just days after Kemi Badenoch's plunging polling exposed

Nigel Farage has ruled out forming an electoral pact with the Conservatives just days after Kemi Badenoch's plunging polling was exposed.

While the Reform leader admitted he could not rule out a deal after an election, he told the Daily Mail it would be a "highly undesirable" outcome.

"They don't deserve it," Mr Farage spat.

According to a recent YouGov poll, Mrs Badenoch's party sits ten percent lower than Reform at a dismal 17 per cent.

Last month, Reform MP - and Tory defector - Danny Kruger urged his former party to give way and allow Reform to become the sole party of the British right.

He said: "There is a real danger that some kind of terrible coalition of the left wins the next election because the right is split.

"I don't think there is a future for the Conservative Party as a national party."

Lord Hermer reported for 'misconduct' after being accused of 'witch-hunt' of British troops

Lord Hermer has been reported to the barristers' watchdog over alleged serious professional misconduct for his role in a so-called "witch-hunt" against British soldiers.

A former Defence Minister and the Shadow Justice Secretary have requested the Bar Standards Board investigate the Attorney General for his role in Iraqi clients' legal battles against UK troops.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, meanwhile, has separately reported the Attorney General to the House of Lords' standards commissioner.

The Attorney General acted as leading counsel in a case where UK troops were accused of murdering Iraqis who were held as prisoners of war at a British Army base...

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Breaking overnight... Donald Trump threatens Britain with all-new tariffs over 'cash grab' tax on American firms

President Donald Trump has threatened to slap Britain with all-new tariffs if it does not drop its "cash grab" tax on American companies.

The digital services tax - which came into effect in 2020 - imposes a two per cent levy on the revenues of a number of major US tech companies.

It was introduced by the Conservatives to address the large gap between the revenue being generated by British users for the social media firms compared to the amount of tax being paid to the Government.

On Thursday, Mr Trump threatened to impose a "big tariff" on Britain if Labour does not scrap the measure.

He told reporters at the Oval Office: “We’ve been looking at it and we can meet that very easily by just putting a big tariff on the UK, so they better be careful.

“If they don’t drop the tax, we’ll probably put a big tariff on the UK.”