Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage has launched his latest blistering attack on the Labour Government during a campaign speech in Northumberland - declaring that the party is "here to stay".
Farage launched his local elections campaign in Morpeth, where he made clear the party is giving Labour "one hell of a run for their money" and is now "the opposition to the Labour Party, with the Conservatives trailing some way behind".
Hitting out at Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer, Farage stated: "It is going to be, I think, incredibly close in Runcorn. In the Midlands, in the north, in Wales and in Scotland, Reform is now the opposition to the Labour Party - with the Conservatives trailing some way behind and in these red wall areas.
"Reform are parking their tanks on the lawns of the Red Wall. Today's the first day I've said that, but I absolutely mean it and we're here and we're here to stay."
The Reform UK leader delivered his latest blow to Labour during his speech in Northumberland
PA
Hitting out at Labour "lies", Farage emphasised that the Government are "digging up old conspiracy theories" in order to spite Reform's chances of election victory.
He told supporters: "People who are switching to us, this is not a short term protest. They actually believe in us, which is why the Labour lie machine is in full groove.
"They're digging up the old Russia conspiracy theory, which somehow people seem to be so fond of - the fact that I said once 12 years ago that I respected Putin as a leader but didn't like him, wouldn't want to live in the country and have condemned him for the vicious attack on Ukraine.
"But somehow the line that Starmer keeps coming out with is that we fawn over Putin. Outright lies."
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Farage claimed that the Government is 'putting out literature' about Reform's plans for the NHS
PA
Shutting down more "Labour lies", Farage stated that the Government is "putting out literature" about their plans for the NHS.
He explained: "On the NHS, they're putting out literature saying 'vote Reform and they'll charge you £15,000 for a hip replacement. We've never, ever, ever suggested anything other that the NHS should be free.
"What worries us is all the tax money that goes in, how badly it gets spent and allocated. Of course one of the problems is that 7.2 million foreign born people have signed up with GPs in the last 10 years alone.
"Can you believe that? So don't be surprised if there's a big queue to get an appointment with your local GP."
Farage emphasised that there is a 'strong feeling' of both 'two-tier justice' and 'two-tier policing' in Britain
PA
Taking aim at the recent Home Affairs Committee report, which found there was "no evidence" of "two-tier policing" as a result of last summer's riots, Farage emphasised that there is a "strong feeling" of both "two-tier justice" and "two-tier policing" in Britain.
Farage concluded: "I firmly believe that we are the party of working people, and there's anger out there on the streets in these Red Wall areas over two-tier Keir, two-tier policing, two-tier justice and two-tier recruitment.
"What happened after Southport was the most appalling cover up. If we'd known the identity and something about the murderer, I don't believe those riots would have happened on anything like the scale that they did."