Reform UK faces final conference day with Jenrick’s £15,000 tax pledge amid scandal fallout
Robert Jenrick is expected to promise raising the tax-free personal allowance to £15,000 and outline sweeping spending cuts as Reform UK’s conference ends, while the party remains overshadowed by an undercover scandal and violent scenes.
Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham is entering its final day, with party figures trying to turn attention back to economics. The party’s treasury spokesman, Robert Jenrick, is expected to announce that within the first 100 days of taking office, the tax-free personal allowance would rise to £15,000. The threshold has stood at £12,570 since 2021 and is frozen until 2031.
Reform says the plan would save the average taxpayer £500 a year and remove 2.9 million people from income tax entirely. The cost would be £17.7 billion in the first year, rising to £21 billion after five years. The party has previously said it wants the allowance set at £20,000, and Jenrick is expected to present the increase as a step-by-step goal once it becomes affordable.
Jenrick is also due to outline about £80 billion in spending cuts, largely driven by reductions to the welfare budget. His expected argument is that the country must choose between welfare waste, foreign aid and migrants on one side, or the British worker on the other — and Reform chooses the worker.
The conference remains overshadowed by an undercover investigation in which senior Reform figures were filmed discussing potential foreign donations. The party has said James Orr, its head of policy, and Dan Jukes, a close aide to Nigel Farage, have been permanently suspended. Jenrick has said there will be due process, an investigation and a right of reply. Neither man has commented on the allegations.
Violence erupted the previous day during Farage’s speech. Footage published by The New Arab showed hecklers, who raised the issue of an undeclared £5m gift to Reform, being attacked by a group of Reform supporters. Farage reportedly brushed off the incident.
The scandal has also exposed divisions inside the party. Zia Yusuf, Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, strongly distanced himself from the suspended aides, saying anyone who backs Reform is disappointed and that he is not personally involved. His recent personal video prompted speculation that he could seek the leadership if Farage were forced out by financial controversies. However, some Reform insiders believe Farage will soon part ways with Yusuf because of his ambition and combative posts on social media.
