Reform leader Nigel Farage says he is now ‘leader of the opposition’

Nigel Farage has declared himself the real “leader of the opposition” and predicted his Reform party will gain more than 6m votes, after polling ahead of the Conservatives for the first time.

At an impromptu press conference in Westminster, the Reform leader said there was a momentum behind his party, and he “absolutely” believes that he will gain more votes than the Tories.

“We are well ahead of the Conservatives in the north-east, the north-west, Yorkshire and the Humber, east Midlands, West Midlands and parts of eastern region. In what we call the “red wall” seats, we are significantly ahead of the Conservatives.”

He went on to demand that the BBC allows him to take part in a leaders’ debate with the Tories, Labour, Liberal Democrats and the SNP next week, and challenged Keir Starmer to a head-to-head debate on immigration.

“The election is over. Labour has won … But perhaps more importantly who is going to be the opposition voice to Labour in the House of Commons and in the country? I’m putting it to you that I believe that I can be that voice of opposition.”

He urged voters to “join the revolt” of the Reform party, telling them “what have you got to lose?”

However, Farage also attempted to manage expectations by refusing to say how many seats he thought his party would win. After similar momentum around Ukip in 2015, the party ended up with just one seat in Clacton in Essex – where Farage is running as Reform leader this time.

He acknowledged that the party is not organised enough to win seats widely and that it would “have to raise a lot of money, very quickly” in order to be competitive against the other parties.

A YouGov survey for The Times this week had Reform at 19% and the Conservatives on 18% in voting intention – which was called the “inflexion” moment by Farage. The pollsters caveated that Reform’s lead was within the margin of error.

Rishi Sunak has responded to the polls by saying that Labour would be handed a “blank cheque” if current polling were replicated at the election.

Speaking to journalists in Puglia, Italy, where he is attending the G7 leaders summit, Sunak said: “We’re only halfway through this election right? So I’m still fighting very hard for every vote.

“I always say the poll that matters is the one on 4 July – but if that poll was replicated on 4 July, it would be handing Labour a blank cheque to tax everyone. Tax their home, their pension, their car, their family, and I’ll be fighting very hard to make sure that doesn’t happen.

He added that there is a “massive difference” between Labour and the Tories, claiming that Labour would “raise the tax burden to the highest level in this country’s history” after Starmer’s party launched its manifesto on Thursday.

“I think that choice will crystallise for people between now and polling day,” the prime minister said.

Wes Streeting, the Labour shadow health secretary, said Labour was ready to take on and challenge Farage and his party.

“We’re going to take him on on the arguments, we’re going to take him on on the issues,” Streeting told GB News. “I think it’s appalling actually the way in which he’s had things pelted at him during this election campaign. He’s got every right to be heard.

“We’re going to take him on, on the arguments, and if he’s elected to parliament – and that’s a big if, he’s not been so far – we will take him on in the Commons chamber.