Reform UK stunned the airwaves this weekend with claims it would slash up to £400 billion from public spending in its first term. The party’s chairman, Zia Yusuf, insists Nigel Farage can deliver these cuts by axing “woke” diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) programmes, scrapping Net Zero policies and dismantling quangos. Critics, however, are calling it “fantasy economics”.
🚀 Bold Promises on Sky News
Speaking to Sky News on Sunday, Yusuf said:
“When was the last time you had a political leader in this country with a real shot at Downing Street, calling for £300 to £400 billion of cuts in the first term of government? He was really crazy about this. Almost all of those cuts would actually improve the lives of British people. That is the state of decay in this country.”
Yusuf believes these savings would boost household finances and revive public services. Yet his optimism clashes with harsh scepticism from Labour and the Conservatives.
🏛️ Labour’s Stark Warning
A Labour spokesperson dismissed Farage’s figures as reckless:
“Nigel Farage’s fantasy economics would supercharge the chaos inflicted by Liz Truss, crash the economy, destroy jobs, ruin public services and add £5,500 onto the average family’s mortgage—it would be a disaster for Britain. Farage and Reform simply can’t be trusted with your finances or the country’s.”
Labour’s critique highlights how similar cuts under Truss sparked market turmoil and clawed back real incomes.
📉 Tory Chairman Joins the Fray
Conservative chair Nigel Huddleston piled on:
“Reform have given up any pretence of seriousness. Farage wants hardworking taxpayers to fund unlimited welfare while handing out fantasy pledges with impossible numbers. It’s pure populist theatre—uncosted, unserious and utterly unfit for government.”
Huddleston warns that voters seeking lower taxes and secure borders should stick with Tory policies, not Reform’s “Corbyn-style chaos.”
🌐 Lib Dems Talk Trade Woes
Even the Liberal Democrats chimed in, linking Farage’s plan to his backing for Donald Trump:
“If Zia Yusuf and Reform were serious about fixing the economy, they wouldn’t back Trussonomics or pander to Donald Trump, who’s harmed British businesses with his trade wars. Reform is no genuine opposition—just another distraction.”
This jibes with concerns over new trade conflicts and the cost to exporters and importers alike.
🤔 So, Can Farage Deliver £400bn?
Reform’s proposed cuts are sweeping. Yet analysts point out that the Civil Service spent only £27 million on DEI programmes in 2022/23—far short of Yusuf’s £7 billion “woke” saving we heard previously. They also question how quickly quangos and Net Zero commitments could be dismantled without legal battles or economic shocks.
In short, turning big headline numbers into reality often proves far trickier than proclaiming them in a speech.
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