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It’s all over – the miles and miles of teal decor are packed away, and Reform UK’s top figures and biggest supporters are back home from Birmingham’s NEC.
The right-wingers have come a very long way in a very short time, as clearly demonstrated by the venue.
Party chairman David Bull told a crowd of thousands on Saturday that his first Reform conference speeches were in front of around 200 people.
Speakers made regular references to membership numbers, too: the party now boasts more than 240,000 members, just 70,000 or so from overtaking Labour.
But just because the scale is bigger, it doesn’t mean the conference had more than its fair share of bizarre and bonkers moments. Here are our biggest takeaways.
The government can still drown out Reform when it wants to
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Nigel Farage is used to being the centre of attention, and if there’s one place where he could reasonably expect to get the spotlight, it’s day one of his own party conference.
But on Saturday, the politics gods were not smiling on him.
As I headed into the NEC for the start of day one, I passed a prominent political editor heading in the opposite direction – a sign of things to come.
In the most intense day for British politics since last year’s election, Angela Rayner sensationally quit her government and party jobs after the ethics adviser found she had breached the ministerial code over her tax affairs.
Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer attempted to seize control of the narrative by conducting a mammoth reshuffle in response, swapping out roles including Home Secretary and Foreign Secretary.
Farage made a surprise appearance on the main stage just after the news broke to give his reaction, but the resignation and reshuffle were all anyone – including attendees in Birmingham – talked about for the rest of the day.
This thing gets slicker with every passing year
In 2023, the Reform conference lasted seven hours and took place at a London hotel.
Last year, it took place at the NEC but largely consisted of a series of speeches from prominent figures on the main stage.
This time around, there was a separate room with five different stages hosting discussion panels and a few stalls for campaign groups and businesses (including the gold bullion one endorsed by Farage).
In other words, it’s starting to look like most other party conferences.
However, there was the occasional reminder that this was not all that much like most other party conferences.
On Friday, Reform’s Head of Policy Zia Yusuf told a Spectator event that he thought Jeremy Corbyn was worse than far-right agitator Tommy Robinson, and praised Robinson’s work on drawing attention to grooming gangs.
Then on Saturday, a doctor speaking on the main stage suggested the Covid vaccine caused cancer, drawing a furious rebuke from Health Secretary Wes Streeting.
The Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire wishes she was still a rock singer
This was the only moment from day one of the conference that threatened to overshadow the turmoil happening at the top of government.
Or maybe that was just for me.
I sat agog in the conference room as Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who was elected as Reform’s Mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May, strutted onto the stage in a sparkly jumpsuit and started belting out a song.
This was ‘Insomniac’, a tune she co-wrote and recorded back in the mid-noughties which is very much still available to stream on Spotify.
Remember how everyone lost their minds over Theresa May and her Dancing Queen moment in 2018? This felt at least 50 times as bonkers.
But there’s no denying it’s catchy. I’m still finding myself humming it to myself.
Not everyone is thrilled about the latest defection
The big Reform news heading into Friday was the latest defection – former Tory Culture Secretary and die-hard Boris Johnson loyalist Nadine Dorries.
Farage was so happy with this deal, he brought her out in the middle of his first conference speech and let her speak for a few minutes.
However, the party supporters I spoke to around the NEC were less than enthusiastic about the recruitment.
A number acknowledged she brought experience of government which would be invaluable if Reform were to seize power (which could happen as early as 2027, according to Farage).
But most were unsure about the optics of continually bringing on board ex-Conservatives who played a role in the 14 years of government that Reform typically describes as a disaster.
Farage is always expecting disrupters at his speeches
These days, when protesters disrupt a party leader’s speech, it’s normal for them to be prepared.
You might recall Starmer’s line about Labour ceasing to be a ‘party of protest’ which is regularly deployed when he’s heckled.
Farage has taken things a step further – when campaign group Climate Justice interrupted his speech on Friday evening, the words ‘boring, boring’ flashed up on the screen above him.
His chant didn’t exactly catch on in the room, where the reaction to the demonstration was already pretty raucous.
Reform merch goes heavy on football for some reason
One of the usual highlights of party conference season is taking a look through the merch stall.
This year, the most popular item in the Reform shop was a football shirt with ‘Farage 10’ written on the back (insert joke about a team where everyone’s on the right wing).
These tops could be seen all over the place, and the leader even took the time to sign a few of them for his adoring fans.
But that wasn’t all. There was also a Reform football scarf and a Reform flag which could be seen waving in the crowd at the main stage.
Customers could buy merch in any colour they liked, so long as it’s the party’s signature shade of almost fluorescent turquoise. Hard lines if it doesn’t quite suit them.
Farage still has the power to surprise with celebrity guests
Reform’s Friday night after party had a mystery guest headliner lined up, with most people spending £25 for entry to find out who they were.
I could have been given a thousand years to guess who it would be, and I wouldn’t have come up with the answer: Marlon and Jackie Jackson, formerly of the Jackson 5.
This was a decent step up from last year, when the novelty duo Bell & Spurling were top of the bill.
But it was hard to shake just how bizarre it was to watch these music legends before at the NEC on a stage where Andrea Jenkyns had sung Insomniac just a few hours before.
It seems Nigel Farage and Reform still have the power to surprise.
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