Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has been savaged over ‘cowardly’ welfare plans to strip foreign nationals of their rights and breach the terms of the UK’s Brexit deal with the European Union
Reform UK has been savaged over “cowardly” welfare plans that would drag Britain into a new wave of Brexit battles.
The party was accused of putting forward “xenophobic” plans and trying to distract from Nigel Farage’s Clacton by-election embarrassment. On Monday Reform’s economics chief, Robert Jenrick, will announce draconian plans to withdraw all benefits from foreign nationals if Mr Farage reaches No10.
But critics warn this would cause a fresh fracas with Europe as it would breach the UK’s Brexit deal and risk retaliation. The plan was dismissed as “cobbled together” and “out of touch” with what voters want. It comes as Mr Farage battles for credibility after an embarrassing by-election in Clacton which saw Count Binface pick up one in four votes.
Green Party deputy leader Mothin Ali said: “Once again, the establishment parties are all trying to outdo each other when it comes to who can be the most xenophobic, who can punch down the hardest to the most vulnerable in our country, and who can cut the most support from disabled people.
“It is cowardly to take from the most defenceless when we should be taxing the super wealthy including those who are in the privileged position of accepting £5million.”
Mr Farage is being investigated by the Parliamentary standards commissioner over a £5million ‘gift’ he accepted from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. This probe was re-opened on Friday after the Reform leader won back his Essex seat in a humiliating by-election which saw parody candidate Binface pick up 26.7% of the vote.
A Labour spokesman said: “These plans would mean ripping up the UK’s withdrawal agreement with the EU, plunging the UK back into years of Brexit renegotiations and stripping support from potentially millions of people who have lawfully lived, worked and paid taxes in Britain for years, and in many cases decades.
“That includes people with settled status who are part of our communities, raising families, working and contributing to our economy.”
Tom Brufatto, of pressure group Best for Britain, said: “Our polling shows that people do want to renegotiate our relationship with Europe, but by moving closer, not by damaging ties with vital allies and punishing our neighbours, colleagues, and friends who have settled status here.
“It’s clear after the party’s lacklustre showing in the Clacton by-election, much to Nigel Farage ’s evident embarrassment, Reform UK is increasingly out of touch with what Brits really want.”
The latest policy announcement comes a fortnight after the French government torpedoed Reform’s proposal to deploy the Royal Navy in the Channel to stop small boats. Reform has been overtaken in the polls as Labour enjoys a ‘Burnham bounce’ following the change of Prime Minister last month.
Mr Jenrick will today(MON) claim his plan would save £21billion a year within five years. Reform has previously pledged to ban foreign nationals from claiming universal credit. The new proposals cover almost all welfare payments – including housing benefit, pension credit, jobseeker’s allowance, child benefit, free childcare and disability benefits.
EU nationals with settled status would be among those affected – which would put Britain on a collision course with Brussels. It could also lead to Brits relying on welfare overseas having their support withdrawn – which Reform says it has allowed £500million for.
Mr Jenrick said: “Forcing British workers to pay for the benefits of foreigners is not just economically illiterate but plain immoral.”