Reform UK’s Nigel Farage and Zia Yusuf faced a tense round of questions from reporters over their proposed changes to immigration policy, NHS surcharge fees, welfare reforms, and government spending.
In this video, we break down the key moments, including:
✔️ Their defence of immigration caps and NHS surcharge reform
✔️ Plans to limit foreign aid and reshape welfare claims
✔️ Proposed tax cuts and public spending strategies
✔️ Tense exchanges with journalists over feasibility and fairness
✔️ What these proposals could mean for the UK’s future direction
Let us know in the comments: Do you think these policies would reshape the UK’s approach to migration, taxation, and public services?
#NigelFarage #ZiaYusuf #ReformUK #UKPolitics #ImmigrationDebate #NHSSurcharge #TaxCuts #PressConference #BritishPolitics #Election2025
In this video, we break down the key moments, including:
✔️ Their defence of immigration caps and NHS surcharge reform
✔️ Plans to limit foreign aid and reshape welfare claims
✔️ Proposed tax cuts and public spending strategies
✔️ Tense exchanges with journalists over feasibility and fairness
✔️ What these proposals could mean for the UK’s future direction
Let us know in the comments: Do you think these policies would reshape the UK’s approach to migration, taxation, and public services?
#NigelFarage #ZiaYusuf #ReformUK #UKPolitics #ImmigrationDebate #NHSSurcharge #TaxCuts #PressConference #BritishPolitics #Election2025
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NewsTranscript
00:00Budget is a choice. It's a choice the Chancellor is going to choose to make in whatever form in the end they manifest themselves.
00:09What we do know is that an increasing tax burden is demotivating, is sending more and more people abroad.
00:17I really worry particularly about the number of sort of 30-something entrepreneurs, people like him, who are leaving the country
00:24because they just really fear and worry about the direction that we're going in.
00:29And once again, I want to reiterate, you know, we as a party are proposing massive cuts in spending
00:35and particularly massive cuts in welfare spending.
00:38We're the first people really to have the courage in modern times to lay any of this out.
00:43Now, as ever, we will take our questions beginning with our favourite broadcaster, the BBC, and Alex Forsyth.
00:54Thank you very much.
00:55You are talking again today about some pretty big numbers, £25 billion.
01:00Can I just press you on the workability of some of what you've announced?
01:03You said you would stop foreign nationals claiming universal credit, including those with EU settled status.
01:10That's protected by the withdrawal agreement.
01:12What gives you any sense that the EU would renegotiate that agreement?
01:16And if you say you'd act unilaterally, have you done any analysis of the potential costs when it comes to possible retaliation by the EU, including on trade?
01:25Well, just, I mean, firstly, on the point, on numbers, you know, the last accurate figures we have are 2015,
01:33at which point there were four times the number of EU nationals in the UK getting benefits,
01:41as there were UK citizens in Europe receiving any kind of benefits.
01:45But the numbers since then have exploded.
01:48Yep.
01:48And so since then, the number of EU nationals in the UK claiming welfare has increased sevenfold.
01:56Sevenfold.
01:57So the facts on the ground have changed.
01:59And therefore, look, we have a choice here.
02:01Either you have a government, which we've had now for years, that throws their hands up in the air and say,
02:06numbers like, for example, foreign nationals claiming universal credit, that was 950,000 about three and a half years ago, three and a half years ago.
02:13That number is now 1.3 million.
02:16That's 350,000 more foreign nationals claiming universal credit in this country.
02:20That's happened in three and a half years.
02:22So you tell me this.
02:23Are we supposed to just stand by and allow that get to two million, two and a half million, three million?
02:27Or are we actually going to say, sorry, we actually need to renegotiate this because this is patently unfair?
02:32Well, I think the whole relationship with the European Union needs renegotiating.
02:35It appears that the Starmer approach is surrender, surrender, surrender, starting with our fisheries, starting to make contributions again.
02:42I mean, the whole thing is mad.
02:43It is most certainly not what people voted for.
02:47And they were very, very clear.
02:49You know, Labour in the general election were very, very clear.
02:52There'd be no back turns at all on our relationship with the EU, and there'd been several already.
02:57But look, you know, the relationship clearly on this, and given the explosion of numbers,
03:02the relationship is hopelessly out of kilter, we'd like to negotiate something with the EU
03:07to show we're good neighbours on a reciprocal and fair basis.
03:13Jack Carson, next up, from GB News.
03:15What impact do you expect the increase in the NHS surcharge to have on waiting times?
03:24And is that money that, is that ever going to be reinvested into public services,
03:28or is that only ever going to be a saving for the public purse?
03:33And just on the Home Secretary's announcements yesterday, do you think that they will stop the boats?
03:37Look, I thought that what the Home Secretary said yesterday, in rhetorical terms, was extremely encouraging.
03:47Extremely encouraging.
03:48It's just that in realistic terms, I'm not quite sure that it will survive her own backbenches
03:54and a vote in Parliament, and I can't see that any of it actually works.
03:59I mean, you can tell the judges, please interpret the ECHR and the Human Rights Act differently,
04:05but in practice, you can't actually make them do that, given the current group that we've got.
04:10So, frankly, I don't actually think that most of what she's said will make any difference at all.
04:16And as for the gimmick, you know, we're going to take away people's watches and earrings,
04:21and I mean, this is just never going to happen.
04:23And even in Denmark, which of course is what they were citing,
04:27even in Denmark, I think only 17 people have had valuables removed from them.
04:32And by the way, Denmark too, now beginning to struggle with its own policies
04:37directly as a result of the European Court of Human Rights.
04:41So, look, rhetorically, fine, following very many of the things that we've been saying for some years,
04:48but in practice, I doubt much of it will actually happen.
04:53Yeah, and on your question regarding the NHS, look, we've made this press conference,
04:58and our proposals are to plug the current fiscal black hole that Rachel Reeves has created
05:02so that it is not necessarily referred to race taxes on British people.
05:08You know, with regards specifically to the NHS surcharge,
05:10you actually read that impact assessment.
05:12The changes we're proposing would not have that meaningful a delta on demand,
05:16even if it did.
05:17Frankly, there's far too much immigration in this country.
05:21Yeah, thank you.
05:22Jasmine Cameron, Chilesh, ITV News.
05:29Jasmine Cameron, Chilesh, ITV News.
05:32You say these cuts will raise around £25 billion.
05:35Is it your expectation that if they go ahead,
05:38a reformed government wouldn't have to increase taxes,
05:41such as national insurance or income tax?
05:44And just secondly, if I may,
05:45the Home Secretary has urged you, Mr Farage,
05:48to, quote, sod off after you suggested she was auditioning to join reform.
05:52What's your response?
05:54And just to confirm,
05:55would reform MPs vote with the government on their asylum changes if needed?
05:59Yeah, I did notice, actually, Robert Peston arriving in the room just as we started.
06:05Well, she seems to quite like using bad language, doesn't she, the Home Secretary?
06:09There's been quite a bit of it over the course of the last 48 hours or so.
06:12I mean, look, for her to say she's not in the least bit interested in what reform has to say
06:18is clearly utter rot.
06:20They're obsessed with what reform has to say.
06:23Just look at every Prime Minister's questions on a Wednesday
06:26and look at the Prime Minister or every other frontbencher that gets up in any single debate.
06:33And if reform didn't exist, would she have made those announcements yesterday?
06:36No, she would not have done.
06:39In terms of the vote, and I'll pass this here,
06:41in terms of how would we vote, well, in terms of the rhetoric, we support it.
06:47But in terms of the reality,
06:50why would we vote for something if we're convinced that it can't actually work?
06:55I also wonder, when will this actually come before Parliament in the form of primary legislation?
07:01Or is this just another, as we saw with Rishi's Stop the Boats,
07:06is it just another of one of these big performative exercises
07:10to say to the Red Wall audience, look, we're really with you.
07:13You don't need to go away and flirt with those ghastly reform types.
07:19When is this actually going to come before Parliament?
07:21Because there are many other things this government have promised
07:23that haven't yet made their way through primary legislation.
07:27Yeah, and listen, I would just comment, my personal perspective on this
07:31is that it was Keir Starmer who accused Nigel of being racist, if you remember.
07:38And I put it to you that if Nigel Farage had sat at a press conference
07:42and announced that a reformed government would start taking jewellery away
07:45from people coming across in small boats,
07:48Lord only knows what would have happened.
07:50And I take great exception to that, actually.
07:53I do take great exception to that.
07:55And also, one of the points about that particular policy
07:59is my view is clearly entirely performative.
08:01I don't know who they think is coming across by small boat.
08:03It's not 50 Cent and Lil Wayne.
08:04And so therefore, taking their gold chains away
08:07is not going to raise anything like enough money
08:09to make any dent on the asylum budget.
08:12But look, the savings that we have outlined here, as I said,
08:16we put them together carefully because they are things that Rachel Reeves
08:19can actually enact.
08:20Case in point being, for example, we have put in a three-month notice period
08:23on the ending of universal credit payments.
08:27These are things, these are not fantasy.
08:29These are real things Rachel Reeves could choose to do.
08:32And as Nigel said, these are choices Labour is making.
08:35Yes, and it's before.
08:37It's before.
08:38Just look at the graph.
08:39Look at the trend.
08:41Look at those that will get benefit rights over the course of the next three years
08:44and understand that the numbers we've talked about today
08:47will be significantly bigger by the end of this Parliament,
08:52which won't be in 2029.
08:54I'm pretty confident about that.
08:55Moving on.
08:56Tamara Cohen, Sky News.
08:59Thank you, Tamara Cohen, Sky News.
09:01You're talking about finding these massive savings.
09:04Reformer in power in various councils.
09:07You promised massive savings then.
09:09They've struggled to find those savings
09:11and many of them are looking at raising council tax.
09:14Why should voters feel reassured it'd be any different
09:16if you were in power nationally?
09:18I did not make a single promise,
09:20not a single promise in that election campaign
09:24that we'd be able to freeze or cut council tax.
09:27I never said it once.
09:29And do you know why?
09:30Because I realised the massive debts
09:32that we were inheriting from those county councils.
09:36It's such a shame.
09:37If you guys had focused on local government
09:39before the May the 1st elections,
09:43maybe the levels of debt would not have got as bad as they have.
09:46Now, of course, there's a huge focus
09:49on county councils up and down the country.
09:52Richard Tice laid out very clearly yesterday
09:55in a press conference
09:57the £330 million of savings we've already made,
10:01but he also made the bigger, broader point,
10:03which links actually directly into what we're talking about today,
10:08that there is a massive problem with the SEND budget.
10:11A massive, massive problem with the SEND budget.
10:14And this is going to need national government
10:17to work with local government to reduce those burdens.
10:21And it's a case of over-diagnosis.
10:24It's a case of misallocated budgets.
10:25It's a case of some of the most extraordinary expenditure.
10:30I mean, I wouldn't mind owning a taxi firm in Lincolnshire.
10:33It sounds like very good business.
10:34So there are a lot of...
10:36A lot of the impact on those local councils
10:39does come from national government policy.
10:42Are we determined to make changes?
10:44Yes.
10:45Will we cut debt?
10:47Yes.
10:48But can we give people a free ticket
10:50at this moment in time on council tax?
10:52No.
10:52And I never, ever thought we would be able to at this stage.
10:56But I think the analogy that was given yesterday,
10:59if I listened carefully enough,
11:00was that we're 12 minutes into a 90-minute game.
11:03Did I get that right?
11:04Well, there you are.
11:07Marvellous.
11:07Let us move on to Martin Beckford from the Daily Mail.
11:12Just following on from Tamara's question.
11:14So will you be content if reform-led councils
11:17increase council tax by the maximum allowed 5% next year,
11:21or will you tell them they can't do that?
11:24Well, we can't tell them what to do.
11:25It's not, you know, I mean, you know,
11:27they are their own living, breathing organisms.
11:31I would very, very much hope
11:32that any council tax rises will be limited to inflation.
11:37That is very much my aim and aspiration for our councils.
11:40But I repeat the point.
11:41If you actually look at the numbers,
11:43we have inherited massive, massive debts.
11:48Massive debts.
11:48It isn't just at a national level
11:49that the country is in trouble.
11:51It's in big trouble at a local government level too.
11:54But I would just want to say one more thing,
11:57if I can on this,
11:58and it is that last year,
12:00seven county councils
12:02had their elections cancelled
12:04in the name of local government reorganisation.
12:08This year, we understand,
12:13and in fact the Times,
12:13I think I've covered this better
12:14than any other newspaper,
12:17that the leaders of those Tory councils
12:19are urging the government
12:21to postpone the elections again.
12:26Because they're worried that reform
12:28might win them
12:30and oppose the local government reorganisation.
12:34I mean, imagine that.
12:36Imagine the democratic will of the people.
12:38being discovered.
12:40So we would challenge very strongly
12:42the government
12:43and say,
12:43let's go ahead
12:44with the seven council,
12:46county council elections.
12:48And by the way,
12:49part of that debate
12:50will be how we've run
12:52the other county councils.
12:54Let the public judge.
12:56So I would urge that very...
12:58Otherwise, you're going to have
12:59elected conservative county councils
13:02who will,
13:03by the time this proposed
13:04local government reorganisation goes through,
13:06have actually sat in their positions
13:08for seven years.
13:10And I think, democratically,
13:11that's unacceptable
13:12at any level.
13:15Martina Bette from The Sun.
13:19Thank you very much.
13:20You want to cap foreign aid
13:22at one billion,
13:23but do you think
13:23that should come with conditions?
13:25For example,
13:26making every penny of that
13:27conditional on countries
13:29taking back illegal migrants,
13:30for example.
13:31and if they refuse,
13:33then they get nothing.
13:34And just quickly,
13:35on the confiscation scheme
13:36of jury and other assets,
13:38are you saying
13:38that you're against that?
13:40It isn't going to happen
13:41in a month of Sundays.
13:43I'll bet you
13:43any money you like,
13:44we do not take
13:45a single possession
13:46of anybody,
13:47well,
13:47unless it's a gun,
13:48of anybody crossing
13:49the English Channel
13:50by dinghy.
13:52And as Zia says,
13:54you know,
13:54if I dared
13:55to answer your question
13:57in the affirmative,
13:59I can't even imagine
14:00what some of the historic
14:02parallels
14:04that would be drawn
14:06and published
14:07would be.
14:08And that really gets
14:09to the heart
14:09of yesterday's event.
14:12You know,
14:12it was performative
14:13to a very,
14:14very large degree.
14:15Even if she believes
14:16this stuff herself,
14:18and clearly she is
14:18very much more
14:19from the blue Labour
14:20wing of the party,
14:22even if she believes
14:23it herself,
14:24it just isn't going to happen.
14:28Camilla Tomini
14:28from The Telegraph.
14:30Sorry.
14:31Oh, yeah,
14:31I'm happy to take that one.
14:33So we wouldn't even
14:34categorize.
14:34So listen,
14:35we want to hard cap
14:37foreign aid
14:37at a billion pounds
14:38for the foreseeable,
14:39right,
14:39until Britain's finances
14:41are in a position
14:42where hardworking
14:43bricklayers in this country
14:44are not being asked
14:45to pay ever more tax.
14:47In terms of making
14:48it conditional,
14:49well,
14:49what we would say,
14:50as we outlined
14:51in Operation Restoring Justice,
14:52our deportation plan,
14:54we allocated
14:55two billion pounds
14:56specifically
14:57for paying
14:59foreign nations
15:01to take back
15:02their illegal migrants.
15:04So we wouldn't even
15:04call that foreign aid.
15:05That's very simple.
15:07You know,
15:07here's an incentive
15:08to take back
15:09your illegal migrants
15:10in our country
15:11so that we can
15:12basically ensure
15:13that we have
15:13proper immigration law here.
15:15Yep.
15:16Camilla Tomini,
15:16Telegraph.
15:18Good morning.
15:18Camilla Tomini
15:19for the Daily Tea.
15:20Just a personnel question,
15:21mindful of the fact
15:22that you think
15:23there's going to be
15:23a general election
15:24in 2027
15:25and you've been very critical
15:26of the current Chancellor.
15:29You've scrapped
15:30the tax cuts
15:31that Richard Tice
15:31wrote into the contract
15:33with the people
15:33at the last general election.
15:35If Zia Youssef
15:36is now crunching
15:37the numbers
15:37for the announcements
15:38you're making today,
15:40should we presume
15:40that he's your preferred
15:42choice for Chancellor
15:43over Richard Tice now?
15:46Lovely try,
15:47but you should...
15:47No, it's very good.
15:48No wonder you're so well paid.
15:51But I'm just not playing
15:53your silly little game,
15:54sorry.
15:55Right, moving on
15:55to the next question.
15:56Max Kendix
15:57from The Times
15:57who has covered
15:58the local government
16:00cancellations
16:01better than any
16:01other journalist.
16:06A couple of questions.
16:08One on...
16:09which was kind of asked before
16:10but would be good
16:10to get addressed more fully.
16:12Is your aim
16:12to go into the next election
16:14making a promise
16:15not to raise
16:16any taxes whatsoever?
16:18Are there going to be
16:19solid commitments
16:19around that
16:20or conversely
16:21do you think
16:21there's an area
16:22that should be taxed more?
16:24And Zia,
16:25I wonder,
16:25Siobhan Mahmood
16:26said yesterday
16:27when she was being accused
16:28of being divisive
16:29by a Lib Dem MP
16:30that she's the one
16:31regularly called
16:32an F&P word
16:34and told to go back home.
16:35Is that an experience
16:36of racism in public life
16:38that you sympathize with?
16:39Yeah, well, look,
16:41I've answered this a few times
16:42this morning
16:43on The Morning Round.
16:43So, number one,
16:44I deeply sympathize
16:46with her
16:47for being in receipt
16:48of such appalling racism.
16:51That must be deeply unpleasant.
16:53But, and look,
16:54obviously different politicians
16:55have different reasons
16:56and motivations
16:57for saying
16:58and believing
16:58different things.
16:59I do somewhat
17:00take exception
17:01to this conflation
17:02with,
17:03or this association
17:04with concern
17:05about immigration,
17:07legal and illegal,
17:08and racism.
17:09I do take exception
17:10to that
17:10because for,
17:11I think,
17:12decades now,
17:13and I've just been campaigning
17:13on this issue
17:14for decades,
17:15people in this country
17:16have voted time
17:17and time
17:18and time
17:18and time again
17:19for less immigration.
17:21Not because they're racist,
17:22not because they're running around
17:23shouting the F word
17:24or using the P word
17:25at people,
17:26but because they believe
17:27Britain should have borders,
17:28they believe in sovereignty,
17:30they believe in the rule of law,
17:31and they believe
17:32that if you pay taxes
17:33in this country,
17:33you should,
17:34assume
17:35to actually get public services
17:36that make sense for you.
17:38So I would,
17:39it's a subtle thing,
17:40and again,
17:40I have deep sympathy,
17:41of course,
17:42for anyone who receives
17:43that kind of racist abuse.
17:45Lord knows I've received abuse too,
17:46just like every front line politician,
17:48but this notion
17:49that one should conflate
17:50concern about immigration,
17:53as she did in the chamber yesterday,
17:54with such appalling racism,
17:57I do have something
17:58of an issue with that.
17:59Melanie Phillips
18:00in your newspaper today
18:01makes some very similar points,
18:02actually,
18:03and are very powerful
18:03article.
18:05Look,
18:06we're a party
18:07that believes
18:07we need tax cuts,
18:09that the tax burden
18:10is too high,
18:11it's a disincentive,
18:13and by the way,
18:13I want lots of people
18:14moving back to Britain.
18:15I want people moving back to Britain
18:19who are going to pay lots and lots
18:21and lots of tax,
18:22because if you drive away the wealthiest,
18:25you drive away the highest taxpayers,
18:28which means a potentially higher tax burden
18:30for everything else.
18:31But I think what we've shown you,
18:34or I believe what we've tried to show you,
18:36over the course of the last few weeks,
18:38is that we fully understand
18:40that we can't even talk about tax cuts
18:42until we get our spiraling debt problem
18:45in this country under control.
18:48Equally,
18:49there needs to be a big change of culture as well
18:51when it comes to work,
18:53productivity,
18:55success,
18:56and maybe we should be championing
18:59entrepreneurs that do well
19:00and make money
19:01rather than portraying them as being evil
19:03for having done well.
19:04So there are some big cultural shifts
19:05that are needed as well.
19:06No,
19:07we want tax cuts.
19:08The tax burden
19:09is too high.
19:11We're committed to doing that,
19:13but first,
19:14we're showing you
19:15that we can make the cuts
19:16and do the things
19:17that will give us the room.
19:19Can I just say one other thing on that?
19:21It alludes to an earlier question as well,
19:24which is that
19:24I do think there's something
19:25of an underappreciation in the media
19:27about the changing financial situation
19:29since the last general election.
19:32And the country's finances
19:33have deteriorated meaningfully,
19:35even from the shambolic
19:36and deteriorated state
19:37they're in as a result
19:38of 14 years of Tory government.
19:40And if you were to look,
19:41and we can have this conversation again
19:42the day after the budget,
19:43but my assessment is,
19:44any reasonable assessment,
19:46assuming that Rachel Reeves
19:47does not do the things
19:48we're proposing here today, sadly,
19:50is that after the budget,
19:52just to unwind
19:53the incremental new taxes
19:55that Rachel Reeves
19:56has imposed on the British people,
19:58the mad inheritance tax changes,
20:00including on farms,
20:01a 2% increase
20:02in national insurance contributions
20:04for employers,
20:04the sugar tax,
20:05what all of these things
20:06she's talking about,
20:07will be north of £60 billion.
20:10And Lord knows,
20:11we would love
20:12an early general election,
20:13but by the time
20:14we get to the next general election,
20:16in all likelihood,
20:16my view,
20:17is that we're going to be
20:18at north of £100 billion
20:19just to unwind
20:22the appalling tax rises
20:23that Rachel Reeves
20:24would have implemented.
20:25So we've got to be straight up
20:26with the British people
20:27about that.
20:28Absolutely.
20:29Jonathan Walker
20:29from The Express.
20:30Thank you, Nigel.
20:35I think it was
20:36Zia this morning
20:37highlighted a web page
20:39that you've set up
20:40for people who are
20:41interested in
20:42defecting to reform.
20:44I don't suppose
20:44Siobhan is really going to
20:45fill it in,
20:46but are you able to tell us
20:47anything about
20:48how many people
20:48have applied
20:50and how do you decide
20:51who to accept
20:52and who to not accept?
20:54In terms of defectors,
20:55the rule is very, very simple.
20:57We want people to come to us
20:59who we think will add,
21:01add to us,
21:03help us as a party,
21:04help us as a movement,
21:05as opposed to simply
21:07using us as a tool
21:08to revive their political careers.
21:11That's the criteria,
21:13plain and simple.
21:15Sophie Wingate from PA.
21:20Thank you,
21:21Sophie Wingate from PA.
21:22On renegotiating
21:24with the EU on benefits
21:26for EU citizens,
21:27can you guarantee
21:28that it wouldn't lead
21:29to retaliatory measures
21:30on higher prices
21:31for British consumers?
21:32And have you had
21:33any exploratory talks
21:34with EU officials
21:35to see how open
21:36they might be?
21:37No, I'm not
21:39terribly popular
21:41in Brussels
21:42most of the time,
21:43it has to be said.
21:43They're quite pleased
21:44to see the back of me
21:44in many ways,
21:45although the European Parliament
21:46is very, very dull
21:47now that the Brexit party
21:49aren't there.
21:52It's a negotiation.
21:55It's a negotiation.
21:56And you go into a negotiation
21:58with a very clear idea
22:00of what your objectives are
22:02and what your interests are.
22:05And your interests
22:06ought to be the national interest.
22:07And the whole disaster
22:09of the EU renegotiation
22:11from the very, very early days
22:14was it was viewed
22:16by Theresa May and others
22:18as a damage limitation exercise
22:20as opposed to
22:22a rejuvenating opportunity.
22:25And so we finished up
22:26with a very bad deal,
22:28but currently the Prime Minister
22:29is trying to make
22:31considerably worse.
22:32We will adopt
22:33a different approach
22:34and you can never predict
22:35how negotiations will go.
22:37But I do think
22:39that we have a team of people
22:40who've been used
22:41to negotiations,
22:43who know what the tough
22:43side of life is
22:44when it comes to business,
22:46when it comes to
22:46putting together contracts,
22:48putting together deals.
22:49And I would argue
22:50we've got a far better chance
22:51of doing something
22:53in the national interest
22:55than any of the careerists
22:57that have gone before us.
22:59Maurizio Alencar, CDAM.
23:01Hi, Maurizio Alencar, CDAM.
23:07Some of the criticism
23:08of Labour has been
23:09on plans to create
23:10a so-called smuggish board
23:12of tax rises
23:13based on quite volatile items.
23:15But then this package
23:16is also talking about
23:17some volatile items
23:18such as net migration.
23:21So, you know,
23:21is this savings package
23:23and slight surcharge fees package
23:25also not based on
23:26very sort of
23:27unpredictable forecasts?
23:29Thanks.
23:29No.
23:32Just have a look at the graph.
23:33I mean, you're CityAM,
23:34for goodness sake.
23:35Just have a look at the trend.
23:37The trends have now
23:38been well established
23:39for several years
23:40and actually,
23:42the numbers are getting worse
23:43and the predictions
23:44for those numbers,
23:46whether it's PIP,
23:48whether it's universal credit,
23:50all of this
23:51will be considerably worse
23:52this time next year
23:53and even worse
23:54the year after that.
23:55The trend is very, very clear.
23:58And this is about arresting.
24:00And turning around
24:01that trend.
24:03Yeah, and I would just add to that,
24:04the only number
24:05that could in any way
24:06be described
24:07as being reliant
24:08on a variable
24:09is the one on IHS
24:11that you flagged,
24:12the immigration health surcharge.
24:14The 5 billion number
24:15we just touted
24:16as being the savings
24:17is based on the current
24:17OBR forecast
24:18for net immigration.
24:19But I also said in my speech,
24:20because we've done
24:21the numbers on this,
24:22if they cut net immigration
24:23to zero,
24:24which is what our policy is,
24:25it would still save north
24:26of 3 billion quid.
24:28So that's still
24:2823 billion pounds,
24:29more than enough
24:30to negate tax rises.
24:32Emilio Casalicio
24:34from Politico.
24:37Hi, thank you very much, Emilio.
24:38You say that
24:41you made no specific promises
24:43about council tax
24:44before those May elections,
24:46but reform local groups
24:49did make very clear promises.
24:51So what will you do
24:53to keep better control
24:54over what these people promise
24:55on essentially your behalf
24:57in local areas?
24:59And are you able to say
24:59something just a bit more
25:00in general about
25:01that experience,
25:03what councils,
25:03these reform councils
25:04are finding,
25:05the challenges
25:05that they're finding
25:06in terms of saving money
25:07or in terms of making
25:09difficult decisions
25:09for savings
25:10that actually are proving
25:11very unpopular
25:12or the government
25:12won't let them do.
25:13What have you learned
25:14from this experience
25:16of some form of governance
25:18about what you should be
25:19promising ahead of the election
25:20and how a reform government
25:23might need to kind of
25:23temper expectations?
25:25I was incredibly careful,
25:27incredibly careful
25:28in the run-up
25:29to those county elections
25:30not to make
25:31false economic promises.
25:33And I promise you,
25:34you will not find
25:35a leaflet
25:36officially sanctioned
25:38by the party,
25:38you will not find
25:39a clip or an excerpt
25:41of anything I said
25:42on the street
25:43or on camera
25:45or to you
25:45or wherever it may be
25:47where I made
25:48any false claims
25:50about tax
25:51and council tax.
25:52And I can assure you,
25:54having travelled
25:55and having met,
25:57I can't even think,
25:58but probably
25:59eight to nine hundred
26:00of the 1,300 people
26:02that stood,
26:02600 people
26:03that stood for us,
26:04I didn't hear anyone
26:05making false promises
26:06on council tax.
26:07So I think,
26:08you know,
26:09the messages
26:09that were coming
26:10from the central party
26:12through the senior
26:14membership team
26:15were very,
26:16very loud and clear.
26:18Lessons,
26:20yeah,
26:21I mean,
26:21I think,
26:22you know,
26:22getting anything
26:23to change
26:24in this country
26:25is difficult.
26:27It's difficult
26:28because of inertia.
26:29It's difficult
26:30because of the status quo.
26:32It's difficult
26:32because there are
26:34plenty of people
26:35living in the
26:36marzipan layer,
26:37you know,
26:38on a public sector
26:39with the promise
26:40of great pensions,
26:41with maybe not
26:42the longest working hours
26:44in the world,
26:44many of them
26:45thinking since the pandemic
26:47that actually worked
26:48from home
26:48was a suitable alternative.
26:50Yeah,
26:51getting things to change
26:52is hard.
26:54I think that's perhaps
26:54the biggest thing
26:55that I take
26:56from these first few months.
26:58and that is
26:59to a very large extent
27:00why,
27:01it's getting back
27:02to the express question,
27:03really,
27:04that's very much
27:04why Danny Kruger
27:05has come into the party
27:07to oversee a team
27:09to think
27:09how are we going
27:11to deal with those challenges
27:13with Whitehall
27:14and elsewhere.
27:15But yeah,
27:15that's my big take-out.
27:17Okay,
27:17we're rattling through.
27:18Will Hazel
27:18from the iPaper.
27:23Do you support
27:24Shabana Mahmood's plan
27:26to deport the children
27:27of failed
27:28asylum seekers?
27:29Because I think
27:30earlier in the year
27:30reform
27:31rode back
27:32on plans
27:33to deport
27:34the children
27:35of illegal migrants
27:36in your mass
27:36deportation plan.
27:38Look,
27:38you know,
27:39my job is not
27:39to make your life easier
27:40and so I'm going
27:42to say this.
27:43The absolute priority
27:44with deporting
27:46those who come illegal
27:47are young,
27:49undocumented males
27:50of fighting age,
27:52many of whom
27:53will do great harm
27:54in this country
27:55to women,
27:57to girls,
27:58join crime gangs
27:59and that is
28:00the absolute priority
28:01and that remains
28:02my answer.
28:04Lucy White
28:04from Bloomberg.
28:09I wanted to ask
28:11about steel.
28:12At the moment
28:12the EU has proposed
28:14much higher tariffs
28:15on steel
28:15that we are trying
28:16to negotiate
28:17our way out of.
28:18If you were to
28:19torpedo relations
28:20with the EU
28:21by, for example,
28:22withdrawing from
28:22the ECHR
28:23or by treating
28:26their citizens
28:26here differently
28:27to the way
28:27we treat our own,
28:29how do you expect
28:29that to impact
28:30on these industries
28:32that are so reliant
28:33on our relations
28:35with the EU?
28:35Because the steel
28:36industry has said
28:37the tariffs
28:37at the current level
28:38that the EU
28:38is proposing
28:39would be
28:39incredibly damaging.
28:41No, and I understand
28:41that, but that's
28:42all part of a
28:43negotiation, isn't it?
28:44That's all part
28:45of a negotiation
28:46and, you know,
28:47when you're negotiating
28:49against someone
28:49that sees weakness,
28:51they will keep
28:53hammering you.
28:54That is the world
28:56that we live in
28:57and we've shown
28:58weakness since 2016.
29:01Time after time
29:02after time
29:03and frankly
29:04under Keir Starmer's
29:05leadership
29:06it is craven
29:07weakness
29:08that we're seeing
29:09on fishing
29:09and everything else.
29:11So yes,
29:11these are issues
29:12as are trade issues
29:14around the whole
29:15of the rest of the world
29:16but this is about
29:17a complete reset
29:18of our relationship
29:19and one that is
29:20much more
29:21in our national interest
29:22and, you know,
29:23steel is a very
29:24difficult subject anyway.
29:26I honestly don't believe
29:27that if Richard Tice
29:29and I had not gone up
29:30to Scunthorpe
29:30on that day,
29:31I honestly don't believe
29:32this country would be
29:33producing any
29:34primary steel
29:35at all
29:36and that moves on
29:37to a whole bigger debate
29:38on energy
29:40and the sheer
29:40catastrophe
29:41that net zero
29:43for the attempt
29:44to become
29:44the Saudi Arabia
29:45of wind
29:45and onto this government
29:47is for
29:48not just our
29:50traditional manufacturing
29:51industries
29:51but forget data centers,
29:53forget AI,
29:54forget crypto,
29:55forget the entire
29:5621st century economy
29:59if we continue
30:00with our current
30:01energy policy
30:02we simply
30:03won't be competitive
30:04and won't
30:05be able to do it
30:06and energy
30:07will be
30:08very much
30:10I think a centerpiece
30:11of what we fight
30:13the next general
30:13election on.
30:15George Eaton,
30:16new statesman.
30:24No, not here.
30:25Adam Cherry,
30:28Guido Fawkes.
30:33The Chancellor
30:34next week
30:34is set to announce
30:35a milkshake tax.
30:37What is reform's position?
30:38My favorite subject.
30:39Right.
30:40What is reform's position
30:41on sin taxes?
30:43You mentioned the sugar tax
30:43earlier.
30:44Would you abolish it?
30:45And under a reformed government
30:46if I go into a restaurant
30:47would I be able to buy
30:48a Coca-Cola
30:49and get it refilled
30:50on limited times?
30:51Oh, I've seen that.
30:52I mean, it's as if
30:53we're all to be
30:54protected from ourselves
30:55and kept at home
30:56wrapped up in cotton wool.
30:59Just take tobacco.
31:01Just take tobacco.
31:02The Australians
31:03have gone bonkers.
31:05A packet of cigarettes
31:06in Australia
31:07costs about 35 quid
31:08maybe nearly 40 quid.
31:11So if you're living
31:12in Melbourne
31:13and you're in a criminal gang
31:14forget cocaine.
31:16Forget there's no money
31:17in cocaine.
31:18The money's in facts.
31:18And as a result of this
31:21there have been 40
31:2340 premises
31:25firebombed
31:25over the course
31:27of the last
31:27two and a half years
31:28as the tobacco gangs
31:30fight against each other
31:31and burn out shops
31:33that are selling
31:33under the counter
31:35cigarettes.
31:36And you can go back
31:37to Adam Smith
31:37if you like
31:38who talked about
31:39brandy taxes
31:40and if brandy tax
31:41is too high
31:42guess what happens?
31:43You get smuggling.
31:45And I think
31:46when I take that down
31:47to sugar
31:48well clearly
31:49there is not
31:50going to be
31:50a black market
31:51in milkshakes
31:52I would fully
31:52understand that
31:53but when they're
31:57chucked in your face
31:57they're really vile
31:58I must tell you.
32:00I just think
32:02we're not doing
32:03enough through education
32:04and just banning
32:05things
32:06and taxing things
32:07and saying
32:08in that particularly
32:09famous chain
32:09that you can't
32:10fill up for a second time
32:11it's just
32:12overreach
32:14simply on the most
32:16astonishing level.
32:19Archie Earl
32:19from UnHerd.
32:22I was wondering
32:23if you could
32:24tell us anything
32:25about if reform
32:26has any plans
32:27to implement
32:28a Trump style
32:29visa ban
32:30on any countries
32:31especially in the
32:32lights of
32:33Shabam and Mahmood
32:33and elsewhere.
32:35Well the visa ban
32:36that Shabam and Mahmood
32:37talked about yesterday
32:38was actually yes
32:39a very sensible
32:40negotiating tactic.
32:41Why wouldn't any
32:42government looking
32:43after the national
32:44interest do that?
32:45It was one of the
32:45most attractive things
32:47I thought she said
32:48let's show some muscle
32:49as a country
32:50and we can do that
32:51with Nigeria
32:52etc.
32:55Even
32:55Eritrea maybe
32:57I don't know
32:58but so there's much
32:59we could do
33:00but I just
33:01again
33:02say to you
33:03that it all
33:04sounded great
33:05it's all supposed
33:07to neuter
33:07support for reform
33:09I just don't believe
33:10any of it
33:10with this government
33:11this cabinet
33:12and these back benches
33:14and the leftward
33:15movement
33:15that we're seeing
33:17in Labour politics
33:18the drag that is
33:20coming now
33:21from the Greens
33:22from
33:23there won't be
33:24Jeremy Corbyn
33:24because he can't
33:25run a bath
33:25but there is that
33:27gradual drift
33:28to the left
33:28I just don't believe
33:29it'll ever happen.
33:30Right two or three more
33:31Anna Gross
33:32from the Financial Times
33:33The immigration
33:40health surcharge
33:41in all of the
33:42documentation
33:42that I've read
33:43it's calculated
33:44on the average
33:45cost to the NHS
33:46of migrants
33:47who are eligible
33:48for the surcharge
33:49so I'm confused
33:50about where you got
33:51this £2,700
33:52figure from
33:53which I can't find
33:54and also
33:55when the government
33:55has increased
33:56IHS before
33:57the number of people
33:59whose fees
33:59are waived
34:00goes up
34:01because fewer
34:02people can afford it
34:03so wouldn't that
34:04reduce the revenue
34:05from this policy
34:05and also
34:06what are you going
34:07to do about
34:07the people
34:07who say
34:08look I literally
34:09can't afford it
34:10and then their fees
34:11get waived
34:12If I was to go to
34:13Australia
34:13and work in Australia
34:14and I couldn't prove
34:16that I either had
34:16the cash in my account
34:17or the health insurance
34:19for up to four years
34:19I wouldn't be let in
34:20Zia?
34:22Yeah it's spot on
34:23right so the first
34:24point to make
34:25is that there's
34:25a very substantial
34:27document
34:27which is the
34:28government's own
34:28it's a home office
34:29impact assessment
34:30all the numbers
34:31are in there
34:31and it literally
34:32states very explicitly
34:33that the per capita
34:34per year cost
34:35of the NHS
34:36is north of
34:362700 pounds
34:38and they set
34:39the last Tory government
34:40set the surcharge
34:43at 38% of that
34:45and you can read
34:46the document
34:46it's a very
34:47very long document
34:48but it's abundantly
34:48clear that the
34:49home office
34:50and the government
34:50actually has no idea
34:51what the actual cost is
34:53and the reason why
34:54I laid out
34:54for example
34:55yeah it's all in there
34:57and in the document
34:58it will publish
34:59but the reality is
35:00if you just looked
35:00at maternity rates
35:02for example
35:03contact with the NHS
35:04and per capita
35:05cost in the NHS
35:06in reality
35:06yes you have an average
35:07yes you have a median
35:08but it's massively driven
35:10by significant events
35:12one of which for example
35:13is a birth
35:14and the migrant
35:15the foreign national birth rate
35:17is 30% higher
35:18than it is
35:19for British nationals
35:20and each one of those births
35:22cost five and a half
35:23thousand pounds
35:24there's absolutely
35:24no justification
35:25for keeping the number
35:27of that
35:27now there are also
35:28as you say
35:28a number of exemptions
35:29inside the IHS
35:31one of which would be
35:33for ILR
35:33now obviously
35:34our plan is to abolish
35:35ILR altogether
35:35but if Rachel Reed
35:37doesn't want to do that
35:38she could just remove
35:38that exemption
35:40obviously asylum seekers
35:41all of these other
35:42sorts of people
35:42don't have to
35:43currently pay
35:44nor by the way
35:45I want to be crystal clear
35:46NHS workers
35:46are currently exempt
35:47we would retain
35:48that exemption
35:50so we're saying
35:51even in a net zero
35:52immigration scenario
35:53it would raise
35:54three billion pounds
35:55based on current
35:56OBR forecast
35:57for immigration
35:58this year
35:58it would be
35:59five billion pounds
36:00David Burke
36:01from the Mirror
36:01hiya
36:04thank you very much
36:05in a hyperphysical situation
36:07where a company
36:08were to go bust
36:09it's a big local employer
36:10in an area
36:10under your proposals
36:12the British citizens
36:14on the workforce
36:15would have the safety net
36:16of support
36:17but their colleagues
36:19neighbours
36:19from the EU
36:21or from overseas
36:21in some way
36:23wouldn't
36:23they'd also have
36:24their own living costs
36:25their own families
36:26etc
36:26do you think that's fair
36:28and do you think
36:28the wider public
36:29think that's fair
36:29I just think the model
36:31that we've been pursuing
36:32for basically
36:34quarter of a century
36:35of importing
36:36as much
36:37cheap foreign labour
36:39as we possibly can
36:40has been a benefit
36:42to some employers
36:44especially big employers
36:46but the net effect
36:47on the British economy
36:48it's been catastrophic
36:49on productivity
36:50and it has
36:51as the years have gone by
36:53just brought upon us
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