A reshuffle and a raucous conference show the misery of power
What happens when nothing matters?
A demonstration of the difference between being in government and opposition hung from the ceiling at Reform UK’s party conference, which kicked off in Birmingham on September 5th. “Are you safe from the wealth tax?” asked a sign looming over delegates, alongside a grinning picture of Nigel Farage with a gold coin. It was paid for by Direct Bullion (“Recommended by Nigel Farage”), a gold dealer whose relationship with the Reform leader has earned Mr Farage some £280,000 ($380,000) in the past year.
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This article appeared in the Britain section of the print edition under the headline “What happens when nothing matters?”
From the September 13th 2025 edition
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Rebellious tube drivers have less bargaining power than before
Rent-seeking meets route-planning
The BBC’s best programme loses its star
Melvyn Bragg is retiring from “In Our Time”
The new battle for Britain
Once elections were fought between left and right. Now the main fight is within these camps
Labour has become the party of Britain’s rich
New data also reveal which voters are driving Reform UK’s surge
Fixing Britain’s broken property-tax system will take courage
The Labour government is unlikely to go there
Blighty newsletter: Can businesses trust Nigel Farage?
Matthew Holehouse, our Britain political correspondent, gives his take on Reform UK’s annual conference