Harry Farley and Joe Pike
Political correspondents

Image source, EPA/Shutterstock

Speak to people at the highest levels of Reform UK and they will admit the party has struggled in recent weeks.

Reform's polling numbers have dipped, while Labour's have risen.

One of their aims at this conference was to demonstrate Reform is a serious party of government. After a summer fighting the by-election in Clacton, which the other main parties boycotted, the party wanted to demonstrate they have a plan for government, focusing on immigration and the cost of living.

A press conference alongside Jordan Bardella, President of the National Rally which leads the polls in France, was part of that effort, and the intention was to project serious international co-operation with another insurgent party on the right.

Farage and Bardella signed an agreement that, if both parties win power, the UK would intercept boats crossing the Channel with France accepting their return.

But it was overshadowed by questions about two aides who have stepped down.

Undercover filming broadcast by Channel 4 News and filmed by Verbatim Investigations shows Dan Jukes, one of Nigel Farage's closest advisers, and Reform's head of policy James Orr, meeting a man posing as the British-based son of a rich American.

Jukes appears to suggest a way to evade electoral law, which only allows donations from people based, or companies registered, in the UK.

Farage told reporters this afternoon that the party had done nothing wrong, and the comments were "loose pub talk" and a "bit of boasting and a bit of jack the laddery". But both aides – who were crucial to Reform's rise from insurgency to a dominant political party – have now stepped down while an internal investigation takes place.

Jukes denies any wrongdoing. He says he has "stepped back from politics in order to clear my name." Orr told Sky News he agreed to step down and will cooperate fully with the investigation.

We are now closing this live page, but you can read more of Harry Farley and Joe Pike's analysis here.

We also have an article on Farage's plans for its first 100 days and his small boats deal with the French National Rally party

Jack Fenwick
Political correspondent

West Midlands Police say the decision to delay Nigel Farage's conference speech "was made by Reform UK".

A senior Reform figure earlier told the BBC that Farage's speech was delayed because "counter terror won't let him on stage yet".

But West Midlands Police say: "We can confirm that Counter Terrorism Policing have had no involvement in the delivery of the Reform UK Party Conference 2026."

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, EPA

"Not what you want on the day of the conference" - that's what Nigel Farage told the BBC earlier when asked about funding allegations in the wake of a Channel 4 News report aired yesterday.

As a reminder, here's what the report showed and what those involved have said.

The party's conference took place today against this backdrop. Here are five key moments from the day:

1. Reform UK announces this morning that two members featured in the report - senior aide Dan Jukes and head of policy James Orr - have stepped down pending the outcome of an internal probe
2. Speaking at a press conference, Farage says Reform has taken "no illegal money" and dismisses suggestions the party has previously taken disguised foreign donations, calling it "loose pub talk"
3. Later in the day, Farage's speech is delayed with a Reform source saying counter-terror police "won't let him on stage yet"
4. Finally taking to the stage after a delay, Farage dismisses the undercover filming as "entrapment" and says a "foreign-funded group of activists" has been targeting Reform for more than a year
5. During his speech, he outlines policies including "radical" tax cuts and a stop to small boat crossings - but is interrupted repeatedly by hecklers as he dismisses the protests as "boring"

How would Reform’s pledge cut to energy bills work?published at 19:20 BST 4 September

19:20 BST 4 September

By Mark Poynting and Anthony Reuben

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has set out plans to cut over £250 a year from the average annual energy bill during the first 100 days of a Reform government.

The party would do this by:

• Removing taxes on power generators' greenhouse gas emissions
• Removing costs from schemes such as the one that encouraged early development of renewables (called the renewables obligation) as well as the one that gives £150 off bills for people on means-tested benefits
• Permanently removing VAT from electricity and gas bills.

The Labour government has said it will temporarily remove VAT from electricity bills, so the saving assumes that would not be extended.

On taxes on greenhouse gas emissions, industry body Energy UK warned in May, external that scrapping such schemes would not cut energy bills and it would "hit British exporters with billions of pounds of extra taxes and lock them out of key overseas markets, as well as deterring investment in the UK".

And there are concerns about what removing the renewables obligation might do to investment in UK energy.

When the government held a consultation on a relatively minor change to it, external earlier this year, they were warned that retrospective changes "would represent a breach of legitimate expectations" that would deter future investment, erode trust in the government and might attract legal challenges.

• BBC Verify: Three reasons why UK electricity prices are so high

Nigel Farage was interrupted several times during his speech by hecklers among the crowd, before they were eventually removed from the conference hall by staff.

The Reform UK leader could be heard repeatedly chanting "boring, boring, boring", a retort he has previously used during similar incidents.

Image source, EPA

Image source, PA Media

Image source, EPA

Speech unlikely to draw a line under Farage's problemspublished at 18:41 BST 4 September

18:41 BST 4 September

Joe Pike
Political correspondent

Nigel Farage’s big speech was delayed, firstly by a security alert then by interruptions from a series of environmental protestors shouting in the conference hall.

When he got going, the Reform UK leader decided not to avoid the latest allegations around his party's approach to donations. Instead, he launched a carefully-balanced rebuttal.

Farage said the undercover filming from Verbatim Investigations was "a prolonged exercise in entrapment", prompting a big round of applause from party members. The organisation has told the BBC its reporting was "carried out to the highest journalistic standards".

Yet Farage also conceded the language caught on camera of two of his closest aides talking about donations was "injudicious at best". Reading from his notes, he added: "We take compliance extremely seriously".

Was that a twin-track message? Perhaps he was trying to communicate to both his base of supporters, and also the wider audience of potential Reform voters he'll need if he is to get into government.

Image source, Reuters

Elsewhere in the speech, Farage laid out his party's significant successes over the past year - including high-profile defection and victories in May’s English local, Scottish and Welsh elections.

We saw a roll call of his long-term campaign messages: "Britain is broken", "Britain needs Reform", and "we will stop the boats".

The was some new policy about how he'd declare a "national emergency" on day one of a Reform-led government with parliament potentially sitting "24 hours a day" and "six days a week".

But Farage seemed to have decided to leave much of his party's policy announcements to the speeches of his colleagues Robert Jenrick, Richard Tice and Zia Yusuf. These will continue tomorrow.

There was also a more-detailed attack on Andy Burnham than we've previously seen from Reform. Farage attempted to frame the new administration as a "continuity government", and said that the creation of Number 10 North would mean "bigger government, more taxes and more failure".

Nigel Farage’s speech then ended rather abruptly. It was shorter, and more off-the-cuff than expected. The party members seemed to enjoy it, but amid a barrage of wider questions about the party's finances, it is unlikely to draw a line under the significant problems now facing the Reform UK leader.

Katie Williams
Live reporter

Image source, Reuters

Nigel Farage has just finished addressing the Reform UK conference.

On a day which has been overshadowed by undercover filming which showed two aides talking about donations, he repeated again that his party has "broken no law" and referred to the filming as "entrapment".

The speech took place after a considerable delay, which a party source attributed to security concerns. It was also interrupted several times by hecklers.

Describing Britain as "broken", Farage used his speech to attack Prime Minister Andy Burnham for having "no mandate".

He also outlined a series of policies, promising "radical" tax cuts and saying a Reform government would put a stop to small boat crossings in the first 100 days.

Meanwhile, he threatened to get rid of the House of Lords in a referendum if the upper chamber failed to pass Reform legislation, describing the party's attitude as "can do, will do".

Nigel Farage finishes his keynote conference speech by thanking party members.

"Love you all, you are a great lot," he says, then receiving a stand ovation as he exits.

We'll bring you analysis of the leader's speech shortly, stick with us.

Farage says if the House of Lords tries to prevent Reform's changes if they were to be in government, they will appoint "hundreds of new peers" so the party has a majority.

If this proves difficult, he says, Reform's government will hold a referendum on the House of Lord's composition and "they will be swept away by the British public".

Farage goes on to say the judiciary could provide another barrier. However, Reform will do whatever it takes to enact its laws and remove the ability of judges to lean on outdated conventions "like the European Convention of Human Rights".

Civil servants will be removed if they try to obstruct Reform, Farage says, adding that the party has a "can do, will do" attitude.

Nigel Farage says the party now has more "front line experience".

"This time last year, I said on this very stage that our biggest weakness was that we lacked experience" and "didn't have anybody that had been there on the front lines", he says.

"Now we have front line experience," he adds, saying the party now has people speaking for it across the UK. But there is "more to do", he says.

There are more "big jobs to fill", Farage says, adding that he is looking at "defence, health and the other areas".

"We will get there... we will get there soon," he says.

He also goes on to tell delegates that the party will not be "distracted" by what he calls a "highly co-ordinated campaign of attacks".

"I promise you we will not be distracted by any of this. We are absolutely determined in what we’re doing," he adds.

We're only part of the way through Nigel Farage's conference speech and already there have been several interruptions from hecklers.

Photos show some of them being removed by security from the room, with one woman pictured lying on the floor.

"Boring!" Farage shouted at one point as hecklers were escorted out.

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Image source, PA Media

Moving onto policies, Farage pledges to stop small boat crossings in the first 100 days, cut energy bills by £250 and says the party will boost NHS training, if they were to be in government.

He turns his attention to tuition fees and says education spokesperson Suella Braverman will have some "radical plans" tomorrow.

Farage also promises tax cuts from Robert Jenrick "in a radical way".

He says that if Reform gain power he will declare a national emergency and recess will be cancelled in parliament.

Farage says parliament will sit for 24 hours a day "if necessary" for six days a week until it can pass the necessary legislation.

Image source, PA Media

Farage says his party has experienced "a little local difficulty today", referring to the Channel 4 News report. He used the same wording in response to a question at a press conference earlier.

Referring to the video broadcast last night, he says a "foreign-funded group of activists" have been targeting Reform for more than a year.

He repeats the assertion that the undercover filming was "entrapment" and says Reform has taken no money. He also says the polls mentioned in the filming were not paid for by his party.

As he did earlier, Farage says "loose pub talk" is an issue, and that some comments made by two Reform officials in the video were "injudicious" and untrue.

"I repeat, Reform has broken no law. We take compliance extremely seriously," Farage says.

Farage seems to pause his speech again for another disturbance.

Again he chants "boring, boring" as the crowd boos.

After a brief time, there is yet another interruption. A young man is caught on camera being removed from the hall.

Farage picks his speech up again, reiterating his belief that Labour will be forced into a general election in Spring next year.

There ought to be one, he says, because Andy Burnham has "no mandate" and the people "deserve" a general election.

"Enough of all the broken promises," he adds.

Farage then revisits local elections on May 7, saying Reform "wiped out" the Conservative party in East Anglia and "smashed" the Labour Party in Midlands and the North.

"We've got a screamer," says Farage as his speech is interrupted.

Boos ring out around the conference hall as somebody is seen being carried out of the hall.

Farage laughs at the moment and jokes "what do they say, order order" as the incident is dealt with.

He refers to the person being escorted out as a "poor young girl" before adding "boring, boring, boring".

Nigel Farage has begun his speech amid dramatic staging involving smoke, fireworks and loud music.

It follows a delay related to security concerns.

"We have another year and another prime minister, the seventh in 10 years", he says.

He asks: what clearer sign is there that "Britain is broken"? He then asks what it is that PM Andy Burnham will "actually do"?

Image source, Reuters

Nigel Farage, leader of Reform UK, is now delivering his speech to the party's conference in Birmingham after a delay.

You can watch live at the top of the page and we'll be covering the key lines here.

Former Reform chairman David Bull is now on the stage - he apologises to the crowd for the delay and is introducing Farage.

He is heaping praise on Farage, saying he has an "uncanny ability to identify key political issues" before anyone else does.

Image source, Reform UK

Ahead of his introduction, Reform leader Nigel Farage was seen walking through the crowd, surrounded by people taking pictures of him, shaking hands with members of the audience as music played.