Reform plan to bombard homes with Farage newspapers is 'desperate distraction' from scandals

Reform UK once again finds itself embroiled in scandal after an undercover probe captured footage of party figures making a series of racist, sexist and other concerning remarks. Nigel Farage began the week trying to talk about his favourite subject, immigration. The embattled Reform leader stood in front of a massive replica small boat as he announced draconian plans to effectively close down the UK’s asylum system is he was elected, sparking criticism from the Catholic Church and refugee charities. The backlash only continued to grow after Robert Jenrick later said Reform would use "lethal force" on migrants in the Channel. Lord Alf Dubs - who was given sanctuary in the UK when he fled the Nazis as a child - called the policy “horrifying”. If the week was already off to a bad start, ITV on Wednesday started dripping out revelations from its year-long probe in which undercover reporters infiltrated Reform’s ranks. Footage showed one Reform councillor saying his area was "infested" with Asian homeowners, another councillor describing Black children as "f***** animals" and Reform MP Sarah Pochin branding the party’s press team "f***ing chauvinistic". Reform MP Robert Jenrick was tied in knots as he tried to deflect questions on the revelations, insisting every party has “bad apples” but what matters is that they had suspended individuals where necessary. Reform will next week launch its latest media strategy to try to regain control of the narrative as it battles sliding poll ratings and faces the findings of a probe into a £5million gift Mr Farage received. In what Labour calls “desperate distraction tactics”, some 20 million people across the country will receive an eight-page newspaper through their letterbox including messages from Mr Farage and articles setting out Reform’s policies. But whether it will have an impact is another question, with polls showing the troubles facing Reform appear to be cutting through with the public. Reform fell to third place in opinion polls for the second time this week, with a More in Common survey putting Labour ahead on 28%, the Tories second on 24% and Reform behind on 21%. And new polling from Ipsos shows that, for the first time this parliament, the public are now more likely to say the Conservatives, not Reform, are the main opposition to Labour. A Labour source told The Mirror: "Reform can stick as many leaflets through doors as they like, it won't stop the millions and millions of people seeing their sleaze, scandals and downright dodgy behaviour blaring through their TV screens every week. How long can it be before Reform realises Farage is now a complete liability?" Asked about this week’s chaos, a senior Reform source said: “We’re quite calm about it. Twenty million people will start getting mail from us directly from next week. Voters are going to hear straight from us in an eight-page newspaper with Reform policies, messages from Nigel. “The Tories have the print on side, Labour has broadcast. We have nothing, so we're just going to get straight to voters with our message.” Mr Farage, of course, has his own TV show on GB News. Reform’s strategy has long been to pitch itself as the “outsider” party, challenging the traditional two-party system. Mr Farage suggested ITV’s undercover investigation was carried out “because the establishment frankly want us out of the picture”. But his self-styled anti-establishment image is under threat, especially with the looming result of a Commons’ probe into a £5m gift he received from cryptobillionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before the 2024 General Election. Polling expert Luke Tryl admitted the “danger” over the £5m sum is it shatters the image that Mr Farage - who tries to show himself as a man of the people - is different to other politicians. Asked if the £5m gift was cutting through with voters, the More in Common director told The Mirror: “You broadly get three groups. You get one group who sort of say: ‘Good on him.’ They’re the true believers. You get another group who are like: ‘Oh yeah, but don't they all do this?’ “And then you get the third group who are like: ‘Oh, maybe Farage is just the same as all of the others. He's just in it for himself.’ I have to say the danger of the £5million is not that it makes Farage look uniquely corrupt or something. It's that he makes him look more like an ordinary politician, and people thought they were getting something different.” Mr Tryl also signalled that the Tories’ recovery under Kemi Badenoch is a “challenge” for Reform, adding: “The battle for the right is more wide open than it was and that's a challenge for them.” The Reform source insisted: “We’re not stressed about the Tories. They've been ahead of us in two of six polls.” The ITV probe will continue to mount pressure on the party over the weekend, with the full documentary to be aired on Sunday night. It has already triggered calls for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to launch a statutory investigation into Reform. Labour MP Mike Tapp told The Mirror: “We don’t want to see any form of racism, discrimination or extremism anywhere near our politics. I have made a referral to the EHRC to investigate the Reform Party further.” If the Standards Commissioner - who is soon expected to finish his probe into Mr Farage’s £5m gift - finds the Reform leader breached parliamentary rules, the Clacton MP could face a suspension and a by-election in his constituency. It would follow a contest in the area over the summer, which the Reform leader triggered in protest over questions over his finances. The major political parties boycotted the July by-election - with Mr Farage left to face off with main rival Count Binface. But they are expected to stand candidates this time around, meaning a tighter and more unpredictable race for the Reform leader to fight. Mr Farage branded the last by-election a “people versus the establishment” showdown, but despite winning the race, the pressure has continued to mount, with Reform’s popularity only continuing to fall.