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Nigel Farage has announced his first \u2018shadow\u2019 ministers with Robert Jenrick chosen to become chancellor if Reform UK wins power at the next general election.<\/p>\n
Mr Jenrick, one of a number of defectors from the Conservative party, said he would restore stability to the economy, and cut taxes, red tape and the benefits bill.<\/p>\n
Fellow ex-Tory Suella Braverman, has been handed the education and skills brief, with deputy leader Richard Tice tasked with combining business, trade and energy policy.<\/p>\n
He said he would focus on using oil and gas to help boost economic growth, while abandoning net zero targets.<\/p>\n
Zia Yusuf, currently Reform\u2019s head of policy, leads on home affairs, with a focus on cutting legal and illegal immigration.<\/p>\n Announcing his new team, Mr Farage declared that Reform was now \u201cthe voice of opposition\u201d to the Labour government. Though it only has 8 MPs, it has led in the opinion polls by a significant margin since last Spring.<\/p>\n Mr Farage said it was time to \u201cbroaden the party\u201d and put people in \u201cshadow positions\u201d to counter claims Reform was \u201ca one-man band\u201d.<\/p>\n Significantly, two of his nominees have ministerial experience. Mr Jenrick is a former housing secretary, and has also held ministerial posts at the Home Office and health department. He held a junior Treasury role as exchequer secretary under Theresa May.<\/p>\n Former Home Secretary Ms Braverman said a Reform government would set a target of 50% of young people going into \u201ctrades\u201d rather than to university. She was also given responsibility for equalities policy, but said Reform would scrap the role of equalities minister.<\/p>\n She said the country was being \u201cripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion\u201d and Reform would repeal New Labour\u2019s Equality Act, passed in 2010, which contains legal protections against discrimination.<\/p>\n It would \u201cbuild a country defined by meritocracy, not tokenism\u201d and \u201cpersonal responsibility, not victimhood\u201d.<\/p>\n There is no indication as to what would replace the legislation, but Mr Farage said it would mean \u201cgetting rid of the pernicious, divisive notion of protected characteristics\u201d, while still protecting people in the workplace.<\/p>\n He said Reform would also be bringing in people who are \u201cgenuine experts in their area\u201d to take up junior ministerial positions and offer \u201creal world experience\u201d.<\/p>\n He has rowed back some of his earlier pledges on tax, but said the party would make some \u201crelatively modest\u201d changes, such as raising thresholds, scrapping inheritance tax on family-run businesses, and reversing Labour\u2019s move to\u00a0charge inheritance tax on farmland.<\/p>\n Conservative chairman Kevin Hollinrake said Reform\u2019s front bench \u201clooks more like a tribute act to the old Conservative Party than a credible alternative\u201d.<\/p>\n Labour Party chairwoman Anna Turley said Mr Farage\u2019s top team was made up of \u201cfailed Tories\u201d who had \u201cfailed Britain before\u201d and would \u201cdo the same again under Reform\u201d.<\/p>\n Liberal Democrat deputy leader Daisy Cooper said: \u201cNigel Farage is welcome to give his colleagues new name badges but it won\u2019t change the opinion of the country \u2013 that Conservatives, current or former, are totally unfit to govern.\u201d<\/p>\n \t <\/div>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/dailybusinessgroup.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/02\/Suella-Braverman.png\")
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