Nigel Farage confirms ambitions to be UK prime minister by 2029

The comments come just days after Reform UK overtook the Conservative Party in a poll for the first time, in what was another major blow for Rishi Sunak in this election campaign.

The YouGov survey saw Reform's increase by two points to 19 per cent. The Tories remained unchanged on 18 per cent.

The polling was conducted after the Conservative Party published its manifesto on Tuesday.

Farage said: "[The Conservatives] can’t agree on anything, they’re split down the middle, and we know what we stand for, we know what we believe in, and for democracy to function properly there needs to be a proper voice of opposition.

"And our plan – and this is our first big election as a party – our plan is to establish that bridgehead in Parliament and to use that voice to build a big national campaigning movement around the country over the course of the next five years for genuine change."

Asked if he would stand to be prime minister at an election in 2029, Farage told the BBC: "Yes, absolutely. I think the disconnect between the Labour and Conservative Westminster-based parties and the country – the thoughts, hopes and aspirations of ordinary people – are so far apart from where our politics is.”

Last week, Farage declared Reform UK to be the "official opposition", demanding a head-to-head election debate with Sir Keir Starmer.

He said a vote for the Conservative Party in the Red Wall is now a "wasted vote", claiming a vote for the Tories is, in effect, a vote to put Labour in government.

Giving a press conference in London, the Reform UK leader said: "The BBC will be having a four-way leaders debate with the leaders of the Liberal Democrats, the Conservatives, Labour and the SNP. And I think we can demand of right now that the BBC put us into that debate.

"But I would also very much like to do a debate head-to-head with Keir Starmer. And the reason is very simple. We think that this should be the immigration election."

Anthony Wells, head of European political and social research at YouGov, noted that the poll is the first to reach the “politically important point of showing Reform ahead of the Conservatives”.

The polling, conducted by YouGov for the Times, spoke to 2,211 adults on June 12 and 13.

It put Labour on 37 per cent support, while Reform UK was the second most popular party on 19 per cent support.

The Conservatives were on 18 per cent support.

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The polling saw voters tied on whether a very large majority for Labour would be a good thing or a bad thing for the country.

Some 38 per cent said it would be a good thing, while 38 per cent said it would be bad.

Meanwhile, 24 per cent said they don't know.