Nigel Farage has announced the launch of a nationwide tour to mark the beginning of Reform UK’s general election campaign, party insiders say. The tour will start next week in Yorkshire, a region seen by Reform as a key battleground with potential to unseat several senior Labour figures. The campaign is expected to continue through November and cover every region of the country, with some areas receiving multiple visits.

The decision to start in Yorkshire comes amid expectations that the region could be decisive in the next general election. Reform is targeting seats held by prominent Labour politicians, including John Healey, Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster, who represents Rawmarsh and Conisbrough, and Ed Miliband, the Foreign Secretary, who holds Doncaster North. Recent polling by Survation suggests many electoral contests between Labour and Reform could be closely fought, with 79 constituencies projected to have margins within five percentage points.

This move occurs despite Prime Minister Andy Burnham’s recent statements denying any plans for a general election before 2029, asserting strongly that speculation around an early poll is unfounded. However, Mr. Farage has expressed skepticism toward the Prime Minister's assurances, suggesting Burnham is keen to avoid election talk overshadowing his party conference.

Reform UK’s campaign launch reflects a strategic effort to regain momentum following a decline in support after its peak in late 2025. Opinion polls currently place Labour ahead of Reform by a small margin, with Opinium listing Labour at 27 percent—three points above Reform—and YouGov projecting Labour to be the largest party if an election were held now, though without an outright majority. Despite this, Reform, which won only five seats in 2024, maintains that its core voter base remains robust enough to justify an early campaign push.

Mr. Farage’s return to full-time campaigning follows a summer focused on internal party restructuring, including the recruitment of hundreds of campaigners and the appointment of managers to mobilize support in key constituencies. Alongside the tour, Mr. Farage will continue to divide his time between parliamentary duties and his Clacton constituency, where he successfully defended his seat in a recent by-election held partly to pre-empt the impact of an ongoing Parliamentary Standards investigation into a £5 million gift from crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne. The investigation, resumed after Mr. Farage’s re-election, remains open.

The tour will be supported by significant financial resources. Reform UK is launching an extensive direct-mail operation targeting Red Wall and other swing seats, funded by a £72 million war chest amassed from donations by cryptocurrency billionaires Ben Delo and Christopher Harborne. Party officials state these contributions are unconditional, with no donor influence over spending decisions.

A committee has already selected hundreds of potential general election candidates from approximately 2,500 applicants, focusing on constituencies considered winnable. Mr. Farage has expressed determination ahead of the campaign, emphasizing his belief that the prime minister will call an election sooner than Burnham anticipates, predicting a 2027 poll for the past two years. He said, “The planning and preparation is done, I’m back on the road and ready for anything.”