Nigel Farage has laid out a Donald Trump-style plan to jail thousands of offenders overseas in a landmark speech in London today.
The Reform UK chief unveiled plans to rent foreign prisons in "partner" nations, including those in Central America - where Britain's most dangerous criminals will be sent.
Under the populist party leader's plans, Reform UK will aim to "cut crime in half" within five years if they enter Government.
Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, Farage said that Reform would be "the toughest party on law and order" adding that his party would "take back control of our streets" and "take back control of our courts".
"If you're a criminal, we are putting you on notice. In 2029, you have a choice to make: be a law-abiding citizen or face serious justice."
His hardliner ex-magistrate MP Sarah Pochin added to his remarks, saying: "The cost to the British taxpayer of prison places is currently estimated at over £50,000 per year and rising.
"By sending our most serious offenders to overseas jails, we greatly reduce this cost and at the same time they experience a tougher prison environment and lose privileges such as family visits which, quite frankly, they don't deserve."
Farage also pledged to recruit 30,000 new police officers; end early release for prisoners convicted of serious violent, sexual or knife offences; and deport 10,400 foreign offenders currently in British jails.
The Reform UK leader said in exchange for deporting foreign prisoners, the party would be prepared to take British offenders back who are imprisoned in other parts of the world.
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|Party leader Nigel Farage speaks during a Reform UK press conference in Royal Horseguards Hotel, London
Sarah Pochin MP said the plan would greatly reduce both the cost and burden on British prisons
When asked what he would do if countries were reluctant to take back their prisoners, he said: "We will make it very straightforward. We will end travel, end Visa restrictions, so we have plenty of muscle to be able to do this. That is for existing prisoners.
"The secondary consideration would be you can send a prisoner to serve their sentence in Estonia - that is going to cost the British taxpayer about £20,000 a year, as opposed to the current £50,000 a year, and I think that will be overwhelmingly popular with the public.”
He also said that if elected, Reform UK plans to sentence criminals to life imprisonment if they commit more than three serious offences.
Farage estimates that halving crime would save Britain £17.4billion over the course of a five-year parliament.
Speaking at a press conference in Westminster, the Reform UK leader described the current situation under Labour as "grim and serious" and said the country was in "a real mess".
"There is nothing left wing or right wing about desperately wanting our society’s streets to be a lot safer than they are today", Farage said.
Trump has won plaudits for his agreement with El Salvadoran President Nayib Bukele to jail illegal migrants to the US in the Central American nation.
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|Nigel Farage described the current crime situation as 'grim and serious' during his speech
And closer to home, Denmark has signed a 10-year deal to lease 300 cells in a Kosovan prison.
The Danes' plan will see only convicted foreign offenders sent to the Balkans - while Reform has pledged to deport all international offenders entirely.
Speaking ahead of Farage's press conference on crime, Policing Minister Diana Johnson labelled Reform's actions as "shameful".
"If Nigel Farage was serious about making our streets safer, he should have backed the tough new laws we introduced earlier this year, Johnson said.
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|Diana Johnson said Farage should have backed new laws introduced earlier this year
"It's shameful that Reform constantly seeks to undermine confidence in our police and criminal justice system and voted to try to block measures to crack down on knife crime, antisocial behaviour, shop theft, child sexual abuse, and long overdue action to tackle the scourge of violence against women and girls.
"They should focus more on practical solutions to support our police, combat crime, deliver justice for victims of crime rather than chasing headlines, spouting slogans and trying to divide communities.
"Our Labour Government is focused on delivering on our safer streets mission.
"Through our plan for change, we're putting neighbourhood police back on the beat, clamping down on the crimes blighting our communities and building a safer, fairer country for us all."
Shadow Environment Minister Robbie Moore also criticised Reform's new policy announcements as "headline politics" lacking in detail.