Nigel Farage has warned that Britain is in “societal and economic decline” and admitted that more battles are looming with the Tories and Labour.

In his New Year message, the Reform UK leader said his party can turn “this country around by 180 degrees.”

It comes as new analysis by Electoral Calculus predicted Reform could win a majority if its support increases to 31% – up from an average of 22% in the polls.

Mr Farage, who has been trading blows with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch over Reform’s membership numbers, warned of more attacks from the Conservatives and Labour in 2025.

He said: “I think what Reform is offering is exciting. I know it is because the other parties are going absolutely mad, throwing around accusations around that I have no doubt that will get tougher.”

A major poll by More in Common revealed Mr Farage’s party would win 72 seats if the election was held together.

However, Reform believes it can win many more seats in the 2029 General Election.

He said: “Over the course of Christmas, tens of thousands of people have joined reform UK. And there is a buzz. There is an energy.

“There is an optimism. We’re not negative. Yes, we know the other lot made an absolute mess of it. That Labour and Conservatives are virtually the uni party. We believe we can turn this country around by 180 degrees and make Britain a much better place.

“If you agree with what we’re trying to do, don’t just sit back and nod. Do something about it. Join those 150,000 people who’ve already joined our party, because I promise you this the only way we win.”

Analysing Britain, Mr Farage said: “The fish rots from the head down. We have been appallingly led in this country now for several decades.

“We are in societal decline. We are in economic decline. Most people are getting poorer with each year that passes.

“We’re losing any sense of national identity.”

Experts have warned that the economy has stagnated under Labour, while Sir Keir Starmer and Home Secretary Yvette Cooper are under intense pressure to slash legal migration and end the Channel migrant crisis.

A raft of year-end downward revisions meant growth was even more paltry than first feared, and the economy has been flatlining since the summer.

With zero growth recorded in the third quarter and the Bank forecasting no expansion in the final three months, the economy is once again a whisker away from a technical recession, as defined by two quarters in a row of negative output.

It has ensured a tough economic start to Labour’s term in office, with Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer has made restoring growth the basis of his first “mission” in Government, saying he wants to make the UK the fastest-growing economy in the G7.

The disappointing GDP performance also comes amid fears of a resurgence in inflation and a job hit after Labour’s October 30 Budget announced steep increases in employers’ national insurance contributions and a minimum wage rise next year.

Many firms have already warned they will have to increase prices in response, which some fear will contribute to inflation rising above 3% by spring 2025, while it is expected to lead to an inevitable pullback in hiring.

This could curtail further rate rises and lead to a period of much-feared “stagflation”, where the economy faces the twin threat of stagnating growth and rising inflation.

Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, warned that “with the economy stalling, the watchword for 2025 is now stagflation”.

“Wherever you look, the green shoots of an inflation revival seem to be pushing up the turf.

“As inflationary forces gather, the Bank of England isn’t going to be gung-ho about cutting interest rates.”

Most Popular Comments

“It’s either Reform or kiss your country goodbye, your choice.” 17

“” We have been appallingly led in this country now for several decades.” Yep, from 1 …” 16

“A lot getting rattled on here, they can feel Farage is going to win next election.” 13

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Mr Farage said: “We’re going to campaign to reduce the cost of living. I promise you, the net zero plans put in place at the time of Theresa May, now being pursued by Ed Miliband in the most extraordinary way, will do nothing more than put up everybody’s bills and close down the British manufacturing industry. We want to make this country prouder.”

Almost 37,000 migrants have been detected on 695 boats.

Since Labour came into power in July, 23,242 people in 423 boats have been intercepted in the world’s busiest shipping strait and brought to the UK by Border Force officers.

On boat crossings, Mr Farage said: “We’re going to campaign for proper border controls. The fact that now 150,000 people, nearly all of them young men, have been able to catch dinghies across the English Channel and come into this country, frankly, is an outrage to everybody.

“But it isn’t just that. Legal migration. Look at 2023, a Conservative Government promising us net migration will be tens of thousand and it was nearly one million.”