Farage brands Tories ‘stuffy’ and ‘boring’ as he talks up Reform vote chances

The Conservatives are “stuffy, boring old bastards”, and Labour risks losing voters to more organised opposition on its left, Nigel Farage has claimed as he played up Reform UK’s prospects at the next general election.

The Reform leader also sought to downplay his party’s chances of winning the upcoming Runcorn and Helsby by-election, where Reform is challenging Labour to overturn its victory at last summer’s general election.

Mr Farage told journalists in Westminster he had found adapting to life in the House of Commons “very odd”, and claimed the European Parliament had been “better organised and better managed”.

He added: “But that, of course, will all change in 2029 when there is a new government, and when Reform have the majority of the House of Commons. I have very little doubt it is going to happen.”

The Reform UK leader made broadsides at his political rivals as he talked up his chances of winning the next general election.

Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch “doesn’t know what hard work is” he said, adding: “And leading a party, I mean, you want to see this mob in the Commons.

“I’ve never met a more stuck-up, arrogant, out-of-touch group of people than at least half of the Conservative MPs.

“Stuffy, boring, old bastards – that is on the record – and they should all be in the Lib Dems anyway.”

Labour, meanwhile, is facing a “much more professional” Green Party, which is concentrating its vote in left-leaning cities such as Bristol and Brighton and will win more seats at the next election, Mr Farage said.

The pro-Gaza vote, or what Mr Farage said some may call the “Islamist vote”, is also likely to eat into Labour’s share and win 20 or 30 seats, he claimed.

He added: “But I do think that Project Starmer, having won a third of the vote and two-thirds of the seats, is in big trouble.

“Why did Reform not get more Labour voters at the last election? Because we only had a campaign that lasted four weeks and three days. We just didn’t reach into those communities.”

Mr Farage said the Runcorn and Helsby by-election could be his party’s chance to prove it can win in communities dissatisfied with Labour.

The by-election follows sitting MP Mike Amesbury’s decision to stand down rather than face a recall petition after he received a 10-week prison sentence, suspended on appeal, for punching a constituent last year.

But Mr Farage told journalists: “Are we going to win? I don’t know. I was asked the other day, ‘well, this must be a must-win in a by-election for Reform’.

“The truth is, it’s Labour’s sixteenth safest seat in the country. It’s a must-win by-election for Labour.

“We’re going to run them close whatever we do.”