Nigel Farage names the towns Reform must 'win' first to change UK politics forever
Nigel Farage will close the conference today after a week in which he and his fellow MPs elected in July outlined their ambitions for the UK.
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Reform UK will target the South Yorkshire constituency of Doncaster in future elections, Nigel Farage has revealed, particularly focusing on former coalfield communities.
Mr Farage, currently at Reform UK’s annual conference at the Birmingham NEC, aims to build on their previous successes, with the party securing second place in 10 Yorkshire constituencies in the last general election. In total, Reform finished second in 98 seats across the UK.
With local and mayoral elections in Doncaster in May 2025, Mr Farage confirmed it was on his radar.
He also emphasised the importance of local branches and councillors in their long-term strategy to secure MPs by 2028.
He said: "There are many parts of the old South Yorkshire coalfield that I genuinely believe will be very, very serious target seats for us come the next election."
Speaking to BBC Look North, Mr Farage said his party was "forming branches rapidly right across Yorkshire”. He explained: "We’re looking ahead to 2026 to 2027 when there are big sets of elections right across the county.
"The one we’re going to focus on will be Doncaster next year when the whole of that district is up.” Better organisation and a base of local councillors would help the party get more MPs in 2028, Mr Farage added.
Mr Farage has also said his party will focus on Thurrock in South Essex. Reform picked up councillor there earlier this month when Alex Anderson defected from the Tory group on Thurrock Council.
Barnsley South and Rotherham, where Reform picked up more than 30 percent of the vote in July, are also likely to be on his hit list.
Mr Farage is due to close the conference with a speech this afternoon.
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Speaking at the event yesterday, Nigel Farage has promised that Reform UK will "be vetting candidates rigorously at all levels" in future as he delivered his keynote speech to the party's conference.
Addressing the crowds in Birmingham, Mr Farage said the party has not got "time" or "room" for "a few extremists to wreck the work of a party that now has 80,000 members".
He described the weekend's conference as the point his party "comes of age" after it secured five MPs at the general election in July.
Reflecting on the hours immediately after the election, Mr Farage said that he said "yes of course, I would represent the constituency" but he had a "job to professionalise and democratise Reform UK".
"That was a solemn promise and pledge that I made to you, the members."
Mr Farage told the crowds that he thinks his "promise to professionalise the party is now on track", and added: "I also promise that in future we will be vetting candidates rigorously at all levels, I promise you that.
"We haven't got time, we haven't got room for a few extremists to wreck the work of a party that now has 80,000 members and rising by hundreds every single day."
The five Reform UK MPs elected at the general election all spoke in the auditorium on Friday, the first day of the weekend conference at which Mr Farage said his party "comes of age".
