Reform conference shows a party keen to present itself as normal | Peter Walker

"Could Reform pull this off? Well, yes in part. Previous Reform gatherings have, in effect, been rallies where every speaker was a support act for Nigel Farage. This is fine for grabbing attention and building support, but at some point voters want reassurance that there is a proper, functioning party machine in place, one capable of populating a cabinet of 20-plus people."

"The two-day event at the NEC in Birmingham was thus a step beyond anything previously attempted by Reform. The focus was still a vast main arena, but this time there were fringe events, even a handful of business stands. There were also, for the first time, some opposing views. Even by the standards of party gatherings, Reform rallies and conferences have often felt a bit cosy, safe spaces for members to tell one another that they are entitled to hold robust opinions about migration, crime"

Political parties seeking government must look like governments, which in the UK means hosting a proper conference rather than only rallies. Reform UK’s two-day NEC event in Birmingham expanded beyond rally-style gatherings, adding fringe events, business stands and some opposing views. Previous Reform meetings functioned largely as support acts for Nigel Farage, focused on attention-grabbing messaging. The conference included rehabilitation campaigners offering liberal views on prisons alongside Reform MPs advocating reopening town-centre police stations and criticising training on pronouns. The party invited the Antisemitism Policy Trust to address conspiracy theories and their circulation among some Reform activists.

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