Reform UK began life as the Brexit Party, created in 2018 amid the parliamentary deadlock over the UK’s departure from the European Union. It was led by Nigel Farage from early 2019 and rapidly became a significant electoral force in that year’s European Parliament elections.
The Brexit Party
The party was created after the 2016 referendum but before Brexit had been completed. It attracted voters dissatisfied with the handling of the withdrawal process and won the largest share of the UK vote in the 2019 European Parliament election. At the 2019 general election it stood candidates widely, but withdrew from Conservative-held constituencies as part of a strategy intended to avoid splitting the pro-Brexit vote.
From Brexit to Reform
After the UK formally left the European Union, the party changed its registered name to Reform UK in 2021. Its programme broadened beyond Brexit to include taxation, immigration, energy, public-sector reform and opposition to a number of net-zero policies.
Richard Tice led the party for much of the period after the renaming. Farage returned as leader during the 2024 general election campaign. Reform won five seats at that election and secured a substantial national vote share, establishing a permanent Westminster presence.
Expansion after 2024
After the general election the party concentrated heavily on building local organisation, recruiting members and contesting council elections and by-elections. By 2026 its official website reported eight MPs and control of 14 councils following that year’s local elections.
Reform’s development is unusual in modern British politics because it grew from a single-issue insurgent party into a broader national party in a relatively short period. Its rise has also altered competition on the right of British politics and intensified debate about whether the long-standing Conservative-Labour electoral structure is becoming more fragmented.
Reform UK official website · Electoral Commission registration decisions · UK Parliament records.