LONDON: Hard-right anti-immigration party Reform UK said Tuesday that Conservative defector Robert Jenrick will be its finance spokesman, as leader Nigel Farage announced policy portfolios for his top team.
Brexit cheerleader Farage appointed Zia Yusuf, who had been the party’s head of policy, as home affairs spokesman and deputy leader Richard Tice to a new role combining business, trade and energy policy.
The announcements follow Reform — which only has eight MPs in the 650-seat House of Commons — leading in polls for the past year and with the under-fire Labour government beset by crises and missteps.
The next general election is not due until 2029. But Reform and other opposition parties are eyeing a by-election this month for a parliamentary seat and local polls on May 7 to ratchet up the pressure on center-left Labour.
“We are the voice of opposition to this government, and so it’s time for the party to take the next step,” Farage said at a London event unveiling his picks for the new roles.
