Reform UK seeks to prove it can win 2029 election after tough summer for Farage

Reform UK, the anti-immigration party led by Brexit champion Nigel Farage, is holding its annual conference in Birmingham this week, aiming to convince voters it can win the 2029 general election despite a difficult summer marked by scandals and falling poll numbers. Farage faces a parliamentary inquiry over a £5 million donation from a cryptocurrency billionaire, and the party was accused Thursday of accepting money from foreign donors for polls, which it denies. He was re-elected in July in a vote boycotted by other parties, and Reform has slipped behind Labour in recent surveys. The three-day event, attended by French far-right leader Jordan Bardella, focuses on governance plans like stopping migrant crossings. Analysts say Farage remains vulnerable, though his leadership is not in question, with some local officials expressing optimism about the party's future prospects.