Nigel Farage's Reform UK 'threaten national security and economic prosperity', Labour Cabinet minister warns

7 July 2024, 11:15 | Updated: 7 July 2024, 11:24

A Cabinet minister has warned that Nigel Farage's Reform UK are a "threat to national security and economic prosperity".

Jonathan Reynolds told LBC's Sunday with Lewis Goodall that his party would "hold [Reform] to account" in Parliament, now that they have five MPs, including Mr Farage.

It comes after the last Labour Prime Minister, Tony Blair, said that illegal migration, law and order and avoiding vulnerability on wokeism" were the best ways for new PM Sir Keir Starmer to neutralise the threat from Reform.

Mr Reynolds, the new Business Secretary, said that "Reform had had significant progress" in this election, while warning that their policies were dangerous.

He said: "If I look at the agenda for Reform... it's the policies of Liz Truss in terms of the economy. It's a foreign policy that is much more aligned to Russian positions in terms of... the war in Ukraine.

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Reynolds on Farage

"That's a worry, it's a worry to people's economic security, to our national security."

Mr Farage praised Ms Truss' mini-budget in autumn 2022 at the time, before it panicked the markets, sending mortgage rates skyrocketing.

Reform's economic policies unveiled in its manifesto before the General Election included several large tax cuts, as well as reductions in public spending.

Mr Reynold's reference to Reform's foreign policy appear to reflect Mr Farage's claim that NATO provoked Russia into invading Ukraine, comments which sparked criticism from Britain's defence establishment.

He added that "of course, now, they've got MPs, they will be scrutinised in the way that we would expect".

Asked if Labour would "take on" Reform, Mr Reynolds said: "We're going to be taking on arguments that are a threat to this country and a threat to the prosperity of people in this country - and they're going to have to accept that level of accountability."

Pressed on whether he thought Mr Farage himself was a threat to national security, Mr Reynolds said: "It's not about personalities, but the positions."

But he agreed that Mr Farage's policies were a threat to "our national security, our economic prosperity."

"We're going to hold them to account for that".

LBC has contacted Reform UK for comment.