Nigel Farage heads to Birmingham NEC for £5 a head and not everyone is happy

Britain’s reformist leader Nigel Farage heads to the Birmingham NEC this weekend for what he sees as the biggest political event of his career. In a move reminiscent of Donald Trump’s giant MAGA events, Farage is urging supporters to descend on the landmark venue for a pre-vote rally.

“Come and join Nigel and other key reform figures as we launch into the final week of campaigning for the 2024 general election,” says the advert for the £5 tickets, with Farage predicting 5,000 will go along to hear his rallying cry. . The event comes amid new polls predicting that reform could take a significant share of the vote across the country, although this is unlikely to translate in many places.

Supporters of the reform took to social media to spread the word, saying it would give “more than a jolt” to mainstream parties if the venue is full to capacity. One suggests that no other party leader would have the same impact and that “thousands” will be there.

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Some ReformUK candidates have been exposed for unsavory and, in some cases, racist or homophobic views in a series of investigations since the general election was called, while Farage was previously targeted directly in the campaign, with a woman softening him in the milkshake in one incident.

He announced his leadership of ReformUK and will stand in the former Tory seat of Clacton earlier this month, sparking a surge in the polls in the party’s favour.

But the decision to bring its rally format to the West Midlands was not welcomed by all. Stephen Maddox, director of the Birmingham Symphony Orchestra, tweeted: “Very disappointing that he has chosen Birmingham, the city of tolerance and inclusion. Although the NEC is at least big enough to accommodate his ego’.

Mr Maddox later highlighted earlier controversial speakers in the West Midlands, writing: ‘1934: Oswald Mosley holds biggest rally yet at Bingley Hall; 1968: Enoch Powell delivers his “Rivers of Blood” speech at the Midland Hotel; 2024: Nigel Farage organizes biggest ever rally at NEC, poor Birmingham’.

The Save Station Street campaign account said of the rally: “Shame on you NEC for taking the money and giving space to this crook and his ‘party’ of racists, Putin apologists, fascist fanboys and dangerous extremists. Disgusted you’d give him a Birmingham, we need to show Farage he’s not welcome here.

The event will be streamed live online. It comes after two outdoor meetings in Kent and Devon attracted hundreds of supporters. In the run-up to the 2019 general election five years ago, 5,000 people gathered at the NEC to watch the Brexit Party launch its campaign.

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His key message to Tory and Labor voters is to support UK Reform as the “opposition party”. “If Tory voters, who have watched in horror as their party implodes after 14 years of betrayal and incompetence, want real opposition to Starmer, they must vote Reform UK.

“And Labor voters who might have been worried about letting the Tories in, but who don’t agree with Labour’s utter lack of patriotism or their obsession with revival, should also vote Reform Britain for a break with the bipartisan corruption of the past. . This is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to rebuild Broken Britain. If you love your country – as I do – this time, vote with your heart.”

Also on stage will be former Tory minister, former Brexit Party MEP and Strictly Come Dancing performer Ann Widdecombe, who is now Immigration and Justice spokesperson for Reform UK, and entrepreneur Zia Yusuf.

Mr Yusuf, the son of Sri Lankan immigrants who recently sold his VIP concierge business Velocity Black for £233m, is a former Tory supporter. But he made headlines last week after it emerged he had instead given Farage his endorsement and financial backing.

Ahead of his NEC appearance, Mr Farage is attending a BBC Question Time leaders event filmed in Birmingham this evening, alongside a Green Party representative.

A spokesman for Birmingham NEC Group said:“All events held at our venues must be safe and legal and we work closely with the relevant authorities to ensure this is the case. The rental of our venues does not constitute any form of endorsement of the event by the NEC Group.”

The ReformUK candidates standing in the Birmingham constituencies are:

• Edgbaston – Joshua Matthews
• Erdingon – Jack Brookes
• Hall Green and Moseley – Stephen McBrine
• Hodge Hill and Solihull North – Jamie Pullin
• Ladywood – Irene Yoong-Henery
• Northfield – Stephen Peters
• Perry Barr – Akshay Khuttan
• Selly Oak – Erin Crawford
• Sutton Coldfield – Mark Hoath
• Yardley – Nora Kamberi