REVEALED: How Nigel Farage is slowly putting together Reform’s Cabinet before our very eyes
GB NEWS

Assistant News Editor Jack Walters sets out how Nigel Farage might be building his top team ahead of the next General Election
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As the dust settles on Reform UK’s second annual conference, political journalists will be catching their breath after a whirlwind 48 hours.
While Sir Keir Starmer was thrashing through his Cabinet reshuffle in the aftermath of Angela Rayner’s bombshell resignation, Nigel Farage was positioning himself as a Prime Minister-in-waiting.
However, in a much-overlooked move, the Reform UK leader has also been handing his allies key roles for a future Cabinet.
And Mr Farage has not been doing it undercover either.
Mr Farage beckoned his allies back to the main stage at the NEC on Saturday after sitting down for snaps in front of Reform UK’s snazzy new football kits.
The Reform UK leader even issued a direct plea to his 241,000 members.
In his closing speech, Mr Farage said: "Can we please exercise discipline and air our disagreements between each other and in private. And if we do that, we will succeed."
But the Clacton MP has struggled throughout his career to maintain close ties with his former colleagues.
The Reform UK leader’s spat with Rupert Lowe rumbles on in the doldrums of the Great Yarmouth MP’s social media account.
Ex-Brexit Party MEP Ben Habib is also hoping to steal some of Mr Farage’s thunder with his so far stunted start-up Advance UK.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage speaks during the party's annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham
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And it is a similar story in Reform’s previous incarnations, including with Suzanne Evans and Steven Woolf.
However, Mr Farage’s previous inclination to undertake a Henry VII-style power pooling endeavour appears to have ended.
Zia Yusuf, who left Reform UK for 48 hours before returning to Mr Farage’s inner circle as his Doge chief, was named as head of policy.
The 38-year-old son of Sri Lankan immigrants, who made millions on his tech adventure at Velocity Black, has made no bones about the job he wants: Chancellor.
Mr Yusuf’s business acumen stood him in good stead at Reform’s conference, with a huge crowd gathering for his appearance at a fringe event alongside ex-Cabinet Minister Michael Gove.
However, it was in the Heathrow Lounge where Mr Yusuf appears to have made particular progress.
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"The herd has started to move," a Reform source told GB News.
"They can all feel it. We're going somewhere and they're encouraged by Zia. He's the corporate catch."
Mr Yusuf has also been plotting his path to Parliament.
"He’s looking for a seat in Essex, not too far from Nigel," a friend of Mr Farage told GB News.
However, another Reform insider quipped: "Who said he’s going to sit on the green benches?"
Just hours after Mr Farage handed Mr Yusuf his new gig, in the depths of a booze-enthused bar, Mr Anderson told GB News he was eyeing up a role addressing work and pensions.
The Ashfield MP, who was the first to defect from the Tories to Reform UK last March, did not have to wait long for his dream job to go up for grabs.
In his closing speech, Mr Farage hauled Mr Anderson onto the stage.
He told Reform’s Chief Whip: "I have no hesitation in announcing henceforth that Lee Anderson is this party’s welfare spokesman."
And it is not just in what Mr Farage said that shows some huge moves have been taking place.
Reform’s deputy leader Richard Tice, who has for some time been the party’s business-minded net zero critic, continued with his grow-garnering crusade in his conference speech.
Mr Tice might be vying for the same post as Mr Yusuf, potentially becoming Chancellor, or might even be positioning himself as a regulation-slashing Business Secretary.
Reform UK MP for Ashfield, Lee Anderson (left) and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage on stage during the Reform UK party's annual conference at the National Exhibition Centre in Birmingham
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Looking at Mr Tice’s busy conference diary, the brief he has been asked to undertake becomes even clearer.
Over the course of just 48 hours, the Boston & Skegness MP set out his plan to save local government from ESG bankruptcy, cut taxes and grow the economy.
He even found time to pop into the Countryside Alliance’s drinks reception.
Sarah Pochin, a former magistrate who quickly found herself in the House of Commons after her six-vote by-election victory in May, is also being primed for a brief on criminal justice.
The Runcorn & Helsby MP’s dedicated her speech to safety, security and restoring justice.
Mrs Pochin also attended a separate fringe event on the justice system, while also speaking at events on revitalising the high street.
Over the past few months, Mr Farage has appointed three specialist tsars to address crime, justice and social care.
Ex-detective Colin Sutton, veteran Wormwood Scrubs boss Vanessa Frake, and former Tory MP Anne Marie-Morris have all been embraced to fill the roles.
Meanwhile, eagle-eyed attendees at Reform UK’s conference would have spotted other high-profile figures who could potentially fill top jobs.
Ross Thomson, a former Tory MP who defected earlier this year, was all smiles as he wandered around the NEC.
"He’s hoping to be First Minister," a friend of Mr Farage quipped.
And it is Laila Cunningham who is tipped to become Reform's London Mayor candidate, taking Ant Middleton's unofficial place after his pivot further right.
Ex-Brexit Party MEP James Glancy, an ex-Royal Marine commando and conservationist, was also suited and booted in Birmingham.
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage delivers his speech the party's conference in Birmingham
| PAHowever, Mr Farage is not necessarily looking to make his Cabinet sit in the House of Commons.
Speaking to The Telegraph, Mr Yusuf said: "We don’t think it makes sense necessarily for the minister of defence to also be doing constituency surgeries about the chlorine level in the local swimming pool."
Both Labour and Tory Governments have already undertaken similar measures, with Lord Cameron becoming Foreign Secretary under Rishi Sunak and Sir Keir appointing Lord Hermer as his Attorney General.
But it is Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg who could find himself in a particularly interesting position.
While Sir Jacob is not going to follow in the footsteps of his 16-year-old daughter by defecting to Reform, the ex-Business Secretary did indicate that he would be willing to advise Mr Farage.
It is certainly not common for non-party figures to serve in Government, and remains rather unlikely, but it is not unprecedented.
Lord Digby Jones, who became one of the most high-profile Brexit-backing peers, served under Gordon Brown as Minister for Trade while sitting as a crossbencher.
While some of these would-be appointments remain more speculative than others, what is certain is that Mr Farage is searching for people to fill the top jobs.
After unveiling ex-Culture Secretary Nadine Dorries, the Reform UK leader told NEC attendees: "I will admit we have some weakness.
"And that is that none of our senior figures have ever been in Government before.”
He added: "We need experienced people. We need people who have been in Government.
"We need people who understand just how the system works and what the difficulties are."
Mr Farage might not have a Cabinet-in-waiting, but he is certainly doing his best to be ready by 2029.