Nigel Farage has been making headlines (again), this time with bold claims that he could be prime minister before Donald Trump leaves office. But health secretary Wes Streeting isn’t having any of it. At the Fabian Society conference last Friday, Streeting delivered a reality check with two sharp observations that left Farage’s PM dreams looking a little shaky.
Reform UK’s Rise: Hype or Reality?
Since the July general election, Reform UK has been steadily climbing in the polls. They bagged 14.3% of the vote share but only 0.8% of the seats – thanks to the quirks of the First Past The Post system. Fast forward to last week, and a poll by Find Out Now showed Reform UK overtaking both the Tories and Labour, with 26% of the vote share compared to 23% and 22% respectively.
Farage, never one to miss a chance to stir the pot, declared this was “just the beginning” and even taunted the Conservatives by claiming Reform now has more members than they do. But is this surge in popularity enough to make Farage a serious contender for Number 10? Wes Streeting thinks not.
Streeting’s Two Key Takeaways
When asked if Farage could actually become PM, Streeting didn’t hold back. First, he pointed out that Farage’s “superpower” seems to be getting a lot of airtime – despite having only five MPs to his name.
“Nigel Farage achieved a breakthrough at the last election with five MPs,” Streeting said. “I think the Greens got roughly the same, four or five. No one is saying, ‘Carla Denyer [Green Party co-leader], come on down, are you the next progressive prime minister of this country?’”
He also highlighted the Liberal Democrats’ success under Ed Davey, who secured the party’s best result in modern history. “No one is saying, ‘Step forward, Ed Davey.’ Davey-mania hasn’t happened,” Streeting quipped.
The Social Media Factor
Streeting suggested that the hype around Farage is partly driven by social media’s obsession with clicks and sensationalism. “Let’s not get too carried away by Nigel Farage,” he warned. “We should keep it all in perspective. Whoever emerges on the right as the primary candidate for prime minister at the next election, let’s be ready to take them on.”
NHS Under Threat? Streeting Calls Out Farage’s Plans
Streeting also took aim at Farage’s recent comments on LBC, where he claimed he was “open to anything” when it comes to replacing the NHS with an insurance-based model.
“With Reform, our NHS would be reduced to a poor service for poor people, with working people forced to pay to go private,” Streeting said. “Labour will rebuild our NHS so that it is there for everyone who needs it and, whenever you’re ill, you never have to worry about the bill.”
He urged voters to think carefully about Reform’s plans: “Every single voter considering Reform needs to ask themselves if they could afford to pay for health insurance like patients have to elsewhere? There are elections in just three months’ time. Voters deserve straight talking from Reform about their plans to move to health insurance.”
The Bottom Line
While Reform UK’s rise in the polls is undeniable, Wes Streeting’s message is clear: don’t get swept up in the Farage hype. With elections just around the corner, the real question is whether voters are ready to trade the NHS for private insurance – and whether Farage’s ambitions are as realistic as he claims.
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