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Gawain Towler | Issue 7 | Magazine

From the Archive

LONDON, ENGLAND - MAY 27: Reform UK Leader Nigel Farage speaks during a press conference on May 27, 2025 in London, England. Reform UK leader Nigel Farage is giving a press conference in Westminster, where he is expected to make announcements about his party's policies on the two-child benefit cap and winter fuel payment. In recent days, Prime Minister Keir Starmer has appeared to walk-back on Labour's stance around the issues, as he faces a revolt within the Labour Party over welfare reforms. (Photo by Dan Kitwood/Getty Images)

With the party's two-day conference starting in a week, Reform Board member Gawain Towler asks: is British business ready for Reform and will they show up to the party?

For decades, Britain’s political party conferences have been less about ideological purity and more about the quiet hum of lobbying, backroom deals, corporate handshakes, and the subtle art of influence. The Conservative and Labour conferences, with their polished stands and VIP lounges, have long served as magnets for businesses seeking to curry favour or hedge their bets. But for parties led by Nigel Farage, first UKIP, then the Brexit Party, now Reform UK, businesses have historically kept their distance, wary of the populist taint and the media’s relentless scrutiny. To be seen with Farage was, for many, a risk too far — a potential stain on carefully curated corporate reputations. Yet in 2025, something is shifting. Reform UK, now a rising force with 10 councils under its control and topping national polls (including, notably, for the 2026 Senedd elections in Wales), is no longer the pariah it once was. Businesses, trade bodies, and even mainstream think tanks are flocking to enga...

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