Reform UK Conference in Birmingham Sparks Controversies, Farage Delays Speech

The Reform UK party conference in Birmingham in 2025 featured a series of unconventional and controversial moments that drew significant attention and criticism. Dame Andrea Jenkyns made a dramatic entrance by performing her own song "Insomniac" live on stage, an unusual move for a political conference. Nigel Farage gave a provocative keynote speech, including proposals to imprison migrant women and deport them to Afghanistan, and faced backlash for hosting a vaccine-sceptic doctor who falsely linked Covid vaccines to illnesses in the royal family. Some attendees celebrated convicted figure Ashlea Connolly as a free speech symbol, despite her guilty plea to a serious crime, which raised further controversy. The event underscored Reform UK's mix of eccentricity and polarizing rhetoric as it seeks to capitalize on public discontent while facing criticism from mainstream political figures about spreading misinformation and hate speech. Overall, the conference highlighted Reform UK's ongoing struggle to be taken seriously amid its provocative style and divisive messaging.