'Best cure for mental health? Get up, get out and get busy'

THIS will be the last time Sir Keir Starmer and Rachel Reeves get to devise Britain's Budget, according to one of the key architects of the Reform UK revolution.

- By David Williamson

Deputy leader Richard Tice says he is convinced the Prime Minister and Chancellor's time in power is coming to an end. Reform has a double-digit lead over its rivals and Mr Tice is at the heart of the team working to put Nigel Farage in Number 10.

They are also constructing policies to tackle the greatest threats to Britain - and he says he wants to “weep” when he sees what Labour has done to the economy.

If Ms Reeves launches a new tax raid in the November 26 Budget, he warns, “more people will lose their jobs and growth will go down”.

“This will be Rachel Reeves's last Budget, of that I am convinced,” he says.

“And I actually think it will be Keir Starmer’s last Budget as Prime Minister.”

He says the Reform team is working “all hours that God gives” in pursuit of victory the next time the UK goes to the polls.

Framing the opportunity and the challenge, he says: “Can we win the next general election? Yes. Will it be easy? No.”

He is in no doubt what the top three priorities of a Reform Chancellor must be.

He or she must “cut vast amounts of wasteful spending, scrap net stupid zero, and scrap a whole load of daft, unproductive regulations”.

Mr Tice fears that in six to 12 months people up and down the land will be talking about unemployment.

He warns: “All of the data is heading in the wrong direction – investment, jobs, vacancies, confidence. Everywhere you look there's doom and gloom. The only thing propping up the economy is the sugar rush of often wasteful public sector spending.”

At the core of his vision for reviving the economy is taking on the legions of the “workshy” and getting people back into jobs.

“Everybody has to understand there is no such thing as a free lunch,” he insists.

“Everybody has got to contribute. Everybody has got to pay their way.”