Dexys Midnight Runners frontman Kevin Rowland has publicly condemned Nigel Farage after "Come On Eileen" was played as Farage walked out to deliver his speech at the Reform UK party conference. Rowland, who co-wrote the 1982 hit, said he was "disgusted" that his song had been used for the entrance and stressed that he and the band are firmly opposed to Farage's politics. The incident matters because it highlights the recurring tension between politicians using popular songs for events and artists objecting to being associated with causes they oppose.

The Reform UK conference took place at Birmingham's National Exhibition Centre from 3-5 September, in the city where Dexys Midnight Runners was formed. Rowland, the son of Irish immigrants, posted his objection on the band's social media alongside an image criticising Farage over migration rhetoric, and said Farage has yet to respond. "Come On Eileen" topped the UK singles chart for four weeks in 1982 and reached number one in the US the following year; the band, formed in 1978, are currently touring the UK behind their new album, LOVE, their first release under the Dexys Midnight Runners name since 1985.