Farage to appoint Reform UK’s first defence spokesman on Thursday
Nigel Farage plans to name Reform UK’s first defence spokesman on Thursday, as he seeks to make military spending a central issue and revive the party’s declining poll ratings. He has also pledged to replace the leadership of the Imperial War Museum and other publicly owned military heritage sites he considers “woke”.
Reform says the museum’s decision to close its Lord Ashcroft medal gallery showed disregard for gallantry and veterans. Ashcroft moved his collection, valued at £70 million, to the National Army Museum after trustees said in 2024 they no longer wanted to display it; the gallery closed in 2025. The article also notes the IWM spent more than £100,000 on diversity consultants in 2024, while the museum says it aims to reach new audiences through inclusive storytelling.
In short
- Farage plans to appoint Reform UK’s first defence spokesman.
- He says military spending will be a major campaign issue.
- Reform wants to replace the Imperial War Museum’s leadership.
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The case for
Reform’s position is that military capability and public respect for service personnel deserve greater political attention, and that appointing a defence spokesman can help make spending and readiness central issues. Supporters may also see the closure of the medal gallery and spending on diversity advice as signs that military heritage institutions risk losing focus on honouring service and gallantry.
The case against
Critics may argue that a new spokesman and calls to replace museum leaders are politically motivated responses to declining poll ratings, and that military policy should be judged on detailed proposals rather than symbolism. The museum’s approach can be defended as an effort to broaden whose wartime experiences are represented; the gallery’s closure followed trustees’ decision not to continue displaying a privately owned collection, rather than necessarily reflecting disregard for veterans.
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Originally published by Daily Mail as “Nigel Farage to name first defence spokesman as he goes into battle on military spending”.