Reform UK Conference 25 - The Next Step

 What a week for Reform UK!

Reform members update 08/09/25

I’m writing this with a sense of exhilaration and exhaustion after one of the most important weeks in the history of Reform UK.

On Monday morning, Richard Tice, our Deputy Leader, kicked off the week in typically Bullish style by launching a press conference in Whitehall on the first day of Parliament after it returned from an extraordinarily long holiday. Of course, our party did not have a sojourn like the others - we seized the agenda and captured the headlines throughout August.

Richard unveiled plans to overhaul council-controlled pension funds, which he said are failing to deliver value for money after being blinded by net zero. He went further to say the chronic mismanagement of public sector pensions is costing the taxpayer around £10 BILLION a year. Richard made it very clear that households across the country were paying the price for a ‘gravy train culture of high fees and bad investments’.

Across our 13 councils, we believe that a combination of sky-high fees and underperformance has led to taxpayers losing out on £1.5 BILLION alone. 

Reform UK is clear - we will end the financial mismanagement and abuse.

In what is a shocking indictment of the current policy, we believe our reforms would slash council tax bills by £350, or we would be able to fund a world-class social care system.

REFORM UK BOARD MEETING

On Monday afternoon, we held the first Reform UK Party Board meeting. This is a vital step in the democratisation of the Party, which I promised when I arrived in office. After the successful hustings debate, which we live-streamed from HQ, I was delighted to welcome our three successful candidates, Darren Grimes, Gawain Towler, and Dan Barker.

They were joined by the three appointees of the Leader, so I welcomed Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Paul Nuttall, and Zia Yusuf.

I also welcomed Andrew Reid, who joins the Board as Special Advisor to the Leader. They were joined by the leader Nigel Farage, the Treasurer Charlton Edwards, the General Secretary Tom Waterhouse, and the Party Secretary Adam Richardson.

After a packed Monday, our attention turned to conference! I spent Tuesday and Wednesday rewriting scripts for Friday and Saturday’s show, before having a run-through in Birmingham on Thursday evening.

Conference 25 - The Next Step

Also on Thursday evening, we launched ReformGo, our brand-new mobile app, built from the ground up to give you something truly unique. It is your personalised portal to the Reform family. It’s been months in the making. And I am so thrilled and delighted with how the team has come together and delivered a truly groundbreaking app plus a complex IT backbone. 

ReformGo is going to transform how we connect and communicate with all of our members. It will also strengthen our offering and will continually update with new features and gizmos. This has cemented Reform as the most high-tech political party in Britain. The app brings together conference details, information about events and campaigning near you, and it has a membership portal where you can see and change your membership information and details. Plus you also donate money through the portal. At the heart of the app is also a social feed, think of it as our own Reform UK version of X or Facebook. All of our senior party officials have profiles in which they will be posting exclusive content you won’t be able to find anywhere else.

So click the button below and download ReformGo now! Or download from the app stores on your mobile phone platforms.

THE BIGGEST CONFERENCE TO DATE

Now, back to the conference, where all our staff, from HQ to local branches, have been working tirelessly to facilitate this incredible event. Thank you to everyone who played a part in making it THE unmissable political event of the year. 

Just as I was about to start the conference, news came that the Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner had resigned, so I had to frantically rewrite the top of the show with just minutes to go. The audience went wild when they were informed that Starmer’s 3rd reset was now underway and the promotion of David Lammy to Deputy Prime Minister reinforced the idea that this was rearranging deckchairs on the Titanic as the Labour Party faces oblivion or Starmageddon.

Throughout the two day event, I was joined by my friend and colleague from Talk TV, Jeremy Kyle, who did a sterling job broadcasting live from across the venue talking to our members and supporters and garnering a sense of the atmosphere in the auditorium but also across the venue itself. 

After my opening speech, Dame Andrea Jenkyns, Greater Lincolnshire’s Mayor and Reform UK’s first-ever female mayor followed, storming onto the stage in full theatrical mode, in a glittery jumpsuit, belting out her own power ballad. That’s something the Conservatives and Labour could never do… The atmosphere was electric, and it set the scene for the rest of the conference and the many surprises to come.

Given the Rayner news, Nigel decided he had to speak earlier than billed to capture the news agenda, so once again I was frantically rewriting and writing scripts and cues. And changing the running order.

Conference 25 - The Next Step

Panel discussions were hosted by the likes of GB News presenter Alex Armstrong, and Jaymey McIvor, our Director of Local Government, plus Allison Pearson from the Telegraph. Laura Anne Jones MS gave an impassioned speech as did Graham Simpson MSP, showing Reform UK is gathering momentum across the whole of the United Kingdom. And Zia Yusuf gave a tubthumping speech. 

And at the end of the day, our special guest, the Honourable Preston Manning, founder and leader of the Reform Party of Canada, the original Reformer gave a tremendous address.

In other news - Nigel announced Zia Yusuf as Head of Policy and revealed the defection of ex-Tory MP Nadine Dorries! Spirits stayed high right through to the after party, where Reformers hit the dance floor and were treated to a live performance from The Jacksons! Suddenly, the conference felt less like politics as our members put the party into politics

After a long night of partying, we were all back at the conference bright and early (not that early!) on Saturday morning. I invited our elected board members on stage to speak to the audience, and after that, we proceeded to the tabled motions that were submitted by party members for the conference to vote on the motions which had been proposed by members. Next, we heard from Alex Wilson AM, followed by our Britain is Lawless panel with Cllr Laila Cunningham, Colin Sutton and Rupert Matthews, PCC, discussing the state of crime and justice in Britain hosted by my old friend and colleague - the one and only Mike Graham from Talk TV. A quick break for lunch, where this fabulous picture was taken of Team Reform, and then straight back to the main stage.

The Next Step

In the afternoon, we heard from Sarah Pochin MP before Allison Pearson and Liam Halligan welcomed the formidable Lucy Connolly on stage in an exclusive world first interview. Lucy received a full standing ovation from the audience as she walked on, leaving most people with goosebumps! It’s only been a fortnight since Lucy was released from prison and her interview laid bare the injustice she faced. 

As Allison poignantly described her, Lucy is a “living symbol of two-tier Britain,” and so it was great to give her the platform to share her experiences of Britain’s broken justice system and her vision for meaningful reform. Her words resonated deeply with everyone in the room, a powerful reminder of why fighting for justice is so vital. In a surprise announcement, Lucy announced she is going to continue to work with Reform UK which I am ecstatic about.

To close off the conference, we heard from Deputy Leader of Reform UK, Richard Tice, who gave a barnstorming speech without notes, before Nigel took to the stage to wrap things up, announcing Lee Anderson as Reform UK’s new Welfare Spokesman. 

The energy and optimism in the arena was palpable with everyone on their feet, applause ringing out, and a real sense that something big is building in our country. And what better way to round things off than with a congregational national anthem, led with flair by Dame Andrea Jenkyns of course! As voices joined together, the moment captured the spirit of unity, camaraderie, and the audacious drive that defines Reform UK. It was truly a finale to remember and the perfect send-off for what was an unforgettable weekend.

I want to extend a heartfelt thank you to everyone who attended, as well as to all our amazing staff and volunteers who kept the wheels turning behind the scenes. It was fantastic to see such a diverse group in attendance, from energetic young first-timers to seasoned Reformers who have been supporting us since the beginning.

Conference 25 - The Next Step

My Chairman’s special prize has to go to Isaac Browning, who is only 18. He is a passionate Reformer who paid for his own trip to fly from North America to conference on his own, just to be with us. Isaac, on behalf of everyone at Reform UK, we are thrilled that you could join us.

Recess is now over, Parliament is back, and we have just taken the Next Step! 

Every single national newspaper is reporting that it is almost certain we will become the new party of Government. And that the General Election could come within the next 18 months. So the work continues, to be ready.

However, now I’m back in London, it’s time for a glass of wine and my bed.

Have a lovely rest of your Sunday,

Yours sincerely,

Dr David Bull Chairman Reform UK