Summer offensive How Reform was allowed to dominate news agenda

Nigel Farage is far less bothered than many politicians about taking his own trips abroad while parliament is sitting. Refreshed and relaxed, he can then spend the summer recess in Westminster, dominating the political scene while his opponents are on their sunloungers and the news agenda is light.

- Jessica Elgot

The Reform UK leader has been at the helm of five press conferences, one every week of recess, and has just managed two more in the final week. Most of them have been on Mondays, with announcements on migration and crime trailed into the weekend papers and his live appearances on news channels sometimes lasting longer than an hour.

Those Monday conferences have sparked debates and backlash that run for days. There has been a raft of defections, from a police and crime commissioner, former MPs and, yesterday, Reform UK's first MSP. Farage has featured on at least 22 front pages.

He speaks off-script, dismissing the questions he cannot answer, but taking dozens. Unlike a government press conference, he luxuriates in the time he has available, with long rambling answers that contain a multitude of half-truths and pet theories that could be turned into news stories.

And – some would say even commendably – he takes questions from every journalist present, even magazine writers and podcasters who have sometimes seemed caught off-guard by having their name called from the podium.