Farage announces himself as Reform UK candidate after supporting Tice rally

Former UKIP leader Nigel Farage had joined the campaign bus for Richard Tice – Reform UK’s leader and prospective parliamentary candidate – visiting Boston and Skegness earlier in the day.

The rally – described as ‘powerful, charged up and motivational’ by one member of the public – was hosted at Old Leake Community Village Hall.

The overall message was Labour will win, but Reform UK want to be “the catalist to form a real opposition”.

As one point it became so hot in the room as Mr Farage rallied support for Mr Tice, the Honorary President of Reform UK called for the windows and doors to be opened.

Lincolnshire World caught up with him outside cooling off after the meeting drinking a glass of water rather than the customary pint of beer he has become renowned for while campaigning.

After visiting Boston and Skegness during the day, Mr Farage said that, in his opinion, not enough has changed since he was last in the area as leader of UKIP in the 2015 General Election.

"I was talking to the Mayor of Skegness (Coun Adrian Findley) and he said there are a number of projects coming down the tracks,” he said.

"But it’s all about delivery, isn’t it?

"The truth of it is Skegness has a lot of potential but it’s not quite realising it.

"So there is a lot of work to do.

“ But I can tell you something – people are so friendly up here. It’s fantastic.”

Mr Farage said he was pleased with where there are in the polls – ‘only six points’ behind the Conservatives.

"That from a Party that has not been around for very long is pretty impressive stuation,” he said.

"I’m pretty optimistic for the next few weeks.”

His support for the US as an ally going forward was evident during his speech.

Asked afterwards if, following former US President Donald Trump’s guilty verdict in a hush money case, he regretted not standing as a Reform candidate himself, he said the reason was the six-week length of the campaign.

"Knowing the Conservatives and others would do terrible things against me in the constituency wasn’t long enough to put up a campaign.

"Plus I feel I’m of more value to our cause by spending my time going around the country supporting candidates.”

He said he was supporting Mr Tice as the Party’s leader and someone with a successful career in business behind him with a strong national voice who is not afraid to stand up and take on issues others find dfficult.

"That may be attractive to voters but it’s not for me say,” he said.

Mr Farage added he was pleased how the meeting went.

"When I asked them (the audience) to put their hands up if they wanted to support them it had the slight air of a revivalist meeting – they all said yes. I think it went well.”

Mr Tice was also pleased how the evening went after a quieter last-minute start to his campaign two weeks ago at the Vine Hotek in Skegness, when less than 20 members of the public turned out to hear what he had to say.

“We are making great progress – word is spreading so rapidly,” he said.

"It’s going to be a close race but we have got a great team and I’m really optimistic.

"People want change and they are realising they have to vote for it.”

Since launching the campaign, Mr Tice said one of the main concerns people in Boston and Skegness were talking about was the lack of infastructure.

"The roads – not just the potholes – the traffic jams, lack of investment across the whole of Lincolnshire.

"That has been a key thing – but I am listening all the time.”

Asked about the Party’s pledge to know on every door, he said: “We are certainly going to do our best.

"It’s ambitious, it’s a big job but we will be knocking on doors, delivering leaflets, street stalls full on all the way to July 4."

Following the rally, one member of the audience told Lincolnshire World: “It was excellent – very powerful, charged up and motivational.”

Another said: “It was very informative – it was good to get an overview of everything.”

The Conservative’s Matt Warman, who has been MP since 2015, was also out campaigning yesterday, now officially no longer acting as MP following Parliament being dissolved

He held the first of his coffee mornings along the coast and posted on social media: “It was a great pleasure meeting local voters this morning to discuss local issues from pylons to policing.”

Later he attended an evening of Pub Politics at The White Hart, Sibsey.

Other candidates in the running include:

David Dickason, English Democrats; Alex Fawbert, Labour Party; Richard Gordon Lloyd, Liberal Democrats; Mike Gilbert, Blue Revolution; and Chris Moore, Green Party.

The deadline for nominations is Tuesday, June 18, at 5pm and we will bring more on the candidates in the coming weeks before voters go to the polls on July 4.