Over the last 20 years, ordinary people have been pushing, demanding and crying out for change in Westminster - for a different politics. First, they pushed Nigel Farage and the UK Independence Party from the margins to the mainstream because their concerns about immigration were not being taken seriously.
Then they forced an establishment that refused to give them a say over the destiny of their own country to hold a referendum. And when that establishment then tried to scare the people into voting for the broken status quo, 17.4 million of them said: “No. We want something different.”
And then, when the establishment tried to block, dilute and overturn what the people had asked for, they once again rebelled. They turned back again to Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party, powering them to victory.
And in 2019, like all good patriots, Nigel Farage did what was in the best interests of the country, not himself, by standing down candidates to ensure that people could get what they had asked for.
But unfortunately, Boris Johnson and the Tories didn’t respect the British people. The Tories promised control. They promised lower immigration. They promised strong borders. And what did they do? They completely betrayed the British people. Instead of saving this country, they continued to destroy it.
So what then happened after the great Tory betrayal? Once again, in 2024, the people turned back to Nigel Farage, catapulting this movement - our movement - into the House of Commons. They pushed us to the top of the opinion polls. They made sure that, for the first time in modern history, we became the only party other than Labour and the Tories to win not just one but two sets of nationwide local elections.
They gave us control of local councils. They made sure that we broke through in the Red Wall, in Wales and in Scotland. And they made us - not the Labour Party - the most popular political party in this country among British workers.
What are the British people out there doing now? What are millions of people who are fed up with the system doing today? They are pushing us towards government. They are pushing us towards power because they have had enough.
Enough of the failed politics of the last 30 years. Enough of mass, uncontrolled immigration, which they never voted for. Enough of broken borders, which they never asked for. Enough of rapid, relentless demographic change, which is leaving so many of our cities and towns - and now our villages - unrecognisable.
That is why the people are with us. That is why the silent majority is with us. And that is why our movement is heading into government, because the people out there can see what we can see.
This is an extract from Matt Goodwin’s speech at Reform UK’s conference, The First 100 Days, on 4th September. Watch the full speech here.
Then they forced an establishment that refused to give them a say over the destiny of their own country to hold a referendum. And when that establishment then tried to scare the people into voting for the broken status quo, 17.4 million of them said: “No. We want something different.”
And then, when the establishment tried to block, dilute and overturn what the people had asked for, they once again rebelled. They turned back again to Nigel Farage and the Brexit Party, powering them to victory.
And in 2019, like all good patriots, Nigel Farage did what was in the best interests of the country, not himself, by standing down candidates to ensure that people could get what they had asked for.
But unfortunately, Boris Johnson and the Tories didn’t respect the British people. The Tories promised control. They promised lower immigration. They promised strong borders. And what did they do? They completely betrayed the British people. Instead of saving this country, they continued to destroy it.
So what then happened after the great Tory betrayal? Once again, in 2024, the people turned back to Nigel Farage, catapulting this movement - our movement - into the House of Commons. They pushed us to the top of the opinion polls. They made sure that, for the first time in modern history, we became the only party other than Labour and the Tories to win not just one but two sets of nationwide local elections.
They gave us control of local councils. They made sure that we broke through in the Red Wall, in Wales and in Scotland. And they made us - not the Labour Party - the most popular political party in this country among British workers.
What are the British people out there doing now? What are millions of people who are fed up with the system doing today? They are pushing us towards government. They are pushing us towards power because they have had enough.
Enough of the failed politics of the last 30 years. Enough of mass, uncontrolled immigration, which they never voted for. Enough of broken borders, which they never asked for. Enough of rapid, relentless demographic change, which is leaving so many of our cities and towns - and now our villages - unrecognisable.
That is why the people are with us. That is why the silent majority is with us. And that is why our movement is heading into government, because the people out there can see what we can see.
This is an extract from Matt Goodwin’s speech at Reform UK’s conference, The First 100 Days, on 4th September. Watch the full speech here.
