Reform UK conference seeks to counter Farage's summer of setbacks

Reform UK, Britain's anti-immigration party, is holding its annual conference in Birmingham to prove it remains a credible contender for power, despite controversies surrounding leader Nigel Farage. The party aims to show it can reach Downing Street in the 2029 general election. Farage faces a parliamentary inquiry into a £5 million donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire before his 2024 election. He survived a July recall vote in Clacton, though it was boycotted by other parties. The conference also opened amid a Channel 4 investigation alleging the party accepted foreign funds for polls, which Reform denies. The party, which led polls for 18 months and won local seats in May, has seen Labour regain a 26% to 22% lead. Over two-thirds of Britons say Farage is not ready to be prime minister, though analysts doubt his leadership will be challenged.