Brexit gamble may backfire

Has Nigel Farage just saved the Starmer premiership?

- Peter Brown, Cleckheaton

By declaring last week that he will fight Labour's 'EU reset', the Reform UK leader risks reminding voters of Brexit's failure - and his own role in it.Almost two-thirds of the public (62 per cent) now think Brexit has been more of a failure than a success, with barely one in 10 (11 per cent) saying otherwise (Best for Britain/YouGov, September 2025).

If Mr Farage makes Europe central to politics again, Sir Keir Starmer and his ministers can easily pin the Brexit disaster on Mr Farage and his allies.

Mr Farage has largely avoided discussing the B-word recently.

He even admitted in 2023 that "Brexit has failed" - though he qualified this by blaming the Conservatives for not delivering it properly.

That qualifier now looks awkward.

Many of the most prominent politicians joining Reform are former Conservative MPs drawn from the same Eurosceptic wing that pushed for Brexit in the first place.