Richard Tice opens Reform convention with China dig – regardless of get together’s merch being made there

EXCLUSIVE: Nigel Farage’s number two, Richard Tice, opened Reform UK’s conference in Birmingham by having a dig at China – while standing yards from a merch stand selling goods made there

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Nigel Farage’s number two opened Reform’s conference by having a dig at China – while standing yards away from a Reform UK merch stand selling items manufactured there.

Richard Tice took a swipe at the eastern superpower as he suggested goods made there would not be welcome at the right-wing gathering in Birmingham. But a quick glance over the nearby conference shop reveals Farage fans can purchase caps, pendants and water bottles made in China.

The merch sits alongside caps made in Bangladesh, hoodies from Pakistan and tote bags made in India. In an opening speech to delegates, Mr Tice vowed his party would be championing British businesses.

And pointing at a bus on display at Birmingham’s NEC, he said: “I don’t want any Chinese buses in here please.”

Reform supporters at the three-day conference in the Midlands can shell out £25 for the caps, £10 for the tote bags and £40 to £45 for the hoodies.

Other goods on sale include a tea towel depicting a smiling Nigel Farage declaring “Washing up is… boring boring boring.” Unusually, it is the only item in the shop with Mr Farage’s face on it.

However enthusiasts can also purchase football shirts in blue and pink with “Farage 10” on the back. These will set them back £35 – although they can purchase two for £60.

Chinese-manufactured drinks bottles with Reform UK written on them are available for £20. And pin badges from China cost £5.

The Farage tea towel, which was made in the UK, costs a whopping £20. The “boring” comment references his response to hecklers on two occasions in 2024 and last year. Supporters can also buy £30 ties, which were also UK-made.

In a brief speech at the opening of the three-day conference for business leaders, Mr Tice declared that the British economy is broken. He went on to claim that Reform is “very very strong about sovereign capability, British manufacturing, re-industrialising Britain.”

And pointing at a bus on the exhibition floor, he described it as a “brand new British piece of manufacturing”. He went on: “I don’t want any Chinese buses in here, please.” He then went on to praise JCB diggers, saying he had sat on one earlier, continuing: “This is the stuff that excites us. And we need to get energized.”

Reform is trying to woo businesses at its flagship annual event. Thursday’s line-up is focused on showing off the party’s business credentials.

It comes as Mr Farage seeks to turn things around after a bruising few months. The Reform leader will deliver his keynote speech on Friday in a bid to turn around sliding poll ratings and growing questions about his decision to accept a £5million gift from crypto tycoon Christopher Harborne.

Reform also faces questions about whether it can be taken seriously on issues including defence – for which it does not have a specialist.

In a prickly exchange on Times Radio, Mr Tice insisted he and Mr Farage can “multitask” and draw up the party’s policies on defending the nation alongside other things including business and housing.

He claimed: “I tell you what, we’ve got the greatest commitment because Nigel and I are driving that ourselves. We’ve always been talking about defence, as I say, from before the general election. And just a couple of years ago, I was in Ukraine talking to drone manufacturers about the rapidly changing and improving technology.”

Pressed by host Stig Abell, who pointed out that defence is central to the UK’s existance, Mr Tice shot back: “Do you know what? Some of us actually, we’re smart enough and experienced enough that we can multitask and actually defence spending, buying British, great British defence technology is also an important part of re-industrialising Britain, growing our manufacturing base. But to do all of that, of course, you need great British steel from Scunthorpe in Lincolnshire.”

On Wednesday moaning Mr Farage claimed he is being “judged guilty every single day” as he whined about the probe into his £5million gift. The tetchy right-winger claimed Britain was “a complainants’ society” and that scrutiny of his party was a “wilful attempt” to paint each person connected to Reform as a “crook”.

He tried to question the integrity of Parliament’s Standards Committee, which is investigating his failure to declare the £5m. Labour accused the Clacton MP of “desperate deflection tactics” and demanded he answer “serious questions” about his and his party’s finances.

Asked why he called a by-election in Clacton, he told the BBC: “I’m being judged guilty every single day by the media, by everybody. I’m guilty not just of that, almost everything. And so I said, you know what?

“Whilst Westminster obsesses about money, about security, about whether this was political or personal, and it goes on every day, do you know what we’ll do? We’ll ask the people. I will let the people of Clacton, the voters, be the judge.”

Mr Farage, who was educated at one of Britain’s poshest private schools, Dulwich College, complained that attacks against him were because he was an “outsider” and compared his situation to critics going after Donald Trump in the US.

He suggested he would soon be interviewed by Standards Commissioner Daniel Greenberg about the £5m gift he received from Thai-based cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before the 2024 general election.

Newly elected MPs must declare any financial benefits they received in the 12 months before they were elected. Mr Farage has insisted it was a personal gift to help pay for his security and that after taking “strong legal advice”, he was told he didn’t need to declare it and so has not broken any rules.