Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has launched a fierce attack on Sir Keir Starmer's government, pledging to fight its post-Brexit reset with the European Union "all the way". At a major rally in London, Farage accused the Prime Minister of gearing up for a "Brexit betrayal" that would surrender British sovereignty to "unelected EU bureaucrats".
Farage's Warning on Sovereignty and the Single Market
The confrontation escalated after Sir Keir Starmer suggested he was exploring options for closer alignment with the EU single market if it served the national interest. This comment, made in a BBC interview, prompted a leading ally of the Prime Minister to suggest the policy could take the UK "very close" to rejoining the single market in a potential second term.
Farage hit back, arguing that such a move would solve none of Britain's economic problems. He pointed to the declining global influence of the EU, now overshadowed by powers like the US under Donald Trump and China under Xi Jinping. "Bit by bit, he is taking away the ability, not just of parliament to make decisions, but of your rights as voters," Farage told supporters at the Excel Centre rally.
He made a solemn promise to the crowd: "We will fight this giveaway, this surrender of our sovereignty, of our money, of our fishing grounds and everything else. We'll fight it tooth and nail."
Legal Challenge Over Local Election Delays
In a separate but related development, Farage revealed that Reform UK is poised to launch a judicial review next week against government plans to allow dozens of councils to postpone local elections set for May. The deadline for councils to accept the offer is next Wednesday, with Reform ready to go to court the following day.
Farage condemned the potential delays, which could affect up to 10 million voters, some for the second consecutive year. He branded the actions as "the behaviour of a Banana Republic", alleging connivance between Labour, the Conservatives, and the Liberal Democrats in certain areas.
London Focus: Crime and the 2028 Mayoral Race
The London rally also served to launch Reform's local election campaign in the capital, an area the party has historically struggled to penetrate. Farage is targeting potential wins in six London councils in May, with a campaign focused heavily on tackling crime.
The event provided a platform for outspoken councillor Laila Cunningham, unveiled this week as Reform's candidate to challenge Sadiq Khan for the London mayoralty in 2028. Cunningham told the rally that London was "no longer a safe city" under Khan's watch and pledged to be a "new sheriff in town".
She vowed to launch an "all-out war on crime", specifically targeting grooming gangs. "Every single person who let those girls down... there will be a reckoning for them," she declared.
The Path to 'Dynamic Alignment' with EU Rules
Behind the political rhetoric, the practical steps of Labour's Brexit reset are becoming clearer. Ministers have already agreed to follow EU rules in sectors like food and farming in exchange for smoother market access.
Legislation expected in the coming weeks will introduce a system of 'dynamic alignment'. This means UK laws in agreed areas would automatically update to mirror new EU regulations. Initially applying to food, farming, and the electricity market, the legislation is expected to grant ministers powers to extend this practice to other sectors.
According to Brussels sources, the UK will have to "pay to play" for further barrier removal, potentially involving annual payments of billions of pounds and agreeing to follow EU laws without a seat at the decision-making table. Sir Keir's biographer and unofficial adviser, Tom Baldwin, suggested the reset could go much further than initially planned, opening a "whole range of possibilities" for deeper economic integration.
