Nigel Farage launches Reform manifesto to defend British culture and axe TV licence fee

Nigel Farage will launch a crusade to defend British culture and values when his party Reform UK publishes its manifesto.

It contains a raft of measures to protect free speech, maintain UK sovereignty and fight against a culture of political correctness.

Mr Farage and Reform chair Richard Tice will take on the “institutionally biased” BBC by calling for the abolition of the £169.50 annual television licence fee. Instead, he argues viewers should be free to choose which TV services they pay for.

The manifesto, which Reform calls a "contract” with voters, also sets out opposition to a so-called cashless society, following warnings it has become increasingly difficult to spend cash in the high street.

Other measures include a Free Speech Bill to prevent organisations imposing “left-wing bias and politically correct ideology” and stop banks withdrawing services from people or organisations they disapprove of.

Mr Farage was a victim of de-banking when his account with NatWest Group subsidiary Coutts was closed after an internal memo said he was “seen as xenophobic and racist”.

And the manifesto will call for an anti-corruption unit at Westminster with legal powers to investigate scandals - so officials who break the rules face real penalties including jail for the worst offenders.

Reform will call for St George’s Day and St David’s Day to become public holidays. The manifesto will say: “English national identity should be officially promoted and celebrated, not ignored or banned.”

The manifesto launch comes after a poll suggested Reform is now the second most popular party behind Labour, with the Conservatives third. Mr Farage said his party was now the real opposition and demanded that the BBC include him in an election debate on Thursday which is due to feature Rishi Sunak, Sir Keir Starmer, Lib Dem leader Sir Ed Davey and SNP leader John Swinney - but nobody from Reform.

Other polls continue to put the Conservatives second.

Mr Farage said: “I think we can demand of right now that the BBC put us into that debate.” He also called for a head-to-head debate with Sir Keir.

But the Reform leader was accused of “inflammatory language” on immigration Foreign Secretary David Cameron yesterday, as Tories stepped up their attacks.