Farage against the machine
2/20/202637 min
Reform UK leader Nigel Farage unveiled his ‘shadow cabinet’ at a glitzy event in London this week, with a newly bespectacled Robert Jenrick announced as ‘shadow chancellor’. The event was a hit with Reform’s supporters in the room – but can the party appeal to a broader base?
One clue as to Reform’s prospects: the by-election next week in Gorton and Denton. The Manchester seat – where Reform, Labour and the Greens are all vying for victory – is a crucial bellwether.
Host Lucy Fisher is joined by FT political correspondent Anna Gross, UK chief political commentator Robert Shrimsley, and columnist and writer of the Inside Politics newsletter Stephen Bush.
Follow: Lucy @LOS_Fisher and @lucyfisher.ft.com; Robert Robert @robertshrimsley.bsky.social Stephen @stephenkb and @stephenkb.bsky.social; Anna @AnnaSophieGross and anna.gross@ft.com
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Political Fix is presented by Lucy Fisher and produced by Mischa Frankl-Duval. The executive producer is Flo Phillips. Audio mix by Sean McGarrity. Original music by Breen Turner. The FT’s head of audio is Cheryl Brumley.
Our email address is politicalfix@ft.com
Clips from Reform UK and the Independent
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Clips
Transcript preview
First 90 secondsNigel Farage· Soundbite0:00
[upbeat music] Too often, the criticism over the last twenty months has been that we're a one-man band, to which I generally respond by saying: "Well, it's better than being a no-man band." [audience laughing] But the time has come to broaden the party, to put in place people in shadow positions, and that process begins today.
Lucy Fisher· Host0:22
[upbeat music] The unmistakable voice of Nigel Farage there, the leader of Reform UK, announcing his top team. Farage was capitalizing on the short parliamentary recess to unveil what he's calling his Shadow Cabinet, a title usually reserved for the official party of opposition. Some might call that manifesting, and alongside the rebrand came the rollout of some substantive policy proposals. But Farage wasn't able to hold the headlines for quite as long as he might have liked. A new appointment soon thrust Keir Starmer and his government back into the limelight, or should I say, line of fire? Welcome to Political Fix from the Financial Times with me, Lucy Fisher. To discuss what was meant to be a relatively quiet week of recess, I'm joined in the studio by my FT colleagues, Anna Gross. Hi, Anna.
Anna Gross· Panelist1:09
Hi, Lucy.
Lucy Fisher· Host1:10
Robert Shrimsley. Hi, Robert.
Robert Shrimsley· Panelist1:11
Hello, Lucy.
Lucy Fisher· Host1:12
And Stephen Bush. Hi, Stephen.
Stephen Bush· Panelist1:13
Hi, Lucy.
Lucy Fisher· Host1:14
Robert, remind us, who are the key appointments we've heard from Reform this week? How big a moment is this in Farage trying to professionalize the party?
Robert Shrimsley· Panelist1:24
Well, I have two thoughts about this. The first is he's announced Robert Jenrick, recent defector from the Conservative Party, as his shadow chancellor.