Reform UK leader Nigel Farage and Labour Prime Minister Keir Starmer have unveiled competing visions for the country’s future, with Farage outlining an expansive law-and-order agenda, and Starmer launching a set of reforms aimed at strengthening government transparency and integrity. The announcements come amid signs of political recalibration, as new polling places Reform UK ahead of Labour, just weeks after the general election.

• Reform UK
• Nigel Farage
• Labour
• Keir Starmer

Speaking in a policy speech on July 20, Farage set out a series of proposals aimed at reshaping Britain’s approach to crime and punishment. He vowed to end the early release of serious offenders, promising that violent criminals and sex offenders would serve their sentences in full. “The early release culture has failed victims and emboldened criminals,” he said. “That ends under a Reform UK government.”

• Nigel Farage
• Reform UK

Farage also pledged to expand the country’s prison system substantially, with plans for 30,000 new places and the recruitment of 30,000 additional police officers. Deportation of foreign offenders would be accelerated, and he indicated interest in housing some of them in facilities abroad, citing prison models in countries like El Salvador as possible options.

• El Salvador

The moves build on earlier commitments made by Farage earlier in the week, when he laid out an aggressive immigration policy during a press conference. At that time, he proposed deporting all individuals who entered the UK illegally and banning asylum claims from those arriving on travel visas or student permits. He described Reform UK as “the most trusted party on immigration,” reflecting a strategy that places immigration and criminal justice at the center of the party’s platform.

• Reform UK

Meanwhile, in Downing Street, Keir Starmer has turned attention toward ethical governance with a series of policy changes designed to address long-standing concerns about public trust. On July 21, his office announced plans to replace the Advisory Committee on Business Appointments (Acoba) with a new, independent Ethics and Integrity Commission. The body would oversee standards for former ministers seeking employment in the private sector, a process that has drawn criticism in recent years.

• Downing Street
• Advisory Committee on Business Appointments

Starmer is also revising ministerial severance arrangements, tightening the rules to prevent payouts in cases where ministers have served only brief periods. The move follows scrutiny over nearly £3 million in exit payments made during previous periods of political upheaval. “Government must hold itself to the highest standards,” Starmer said, describing the reforms as “a first step” toward restoring public confidence.

Although Labour secured a dominant majority in the 2024 general election, recent developments suggest the political terrain is shifting. A new poll shows Reform UK leading Labour by six points, with 29 percent of voter support compared to Labour’s 23 percent. The Conservative Party trails in third at 17 percent. While analysts caution that public opinion remains fluid, the numbers reflect growing momentum behind Farage’s party.

• Reform UK
• Conservative Party

This movement comes amid broader debates over recent changes to the electoral framework. The lowering of the voting age to 16, passed last week, has drawn sharp rebukes from Farage, who claimed it was a deliberate attempt by Labour to “rig the system.” While some commentators noted the potential for younger voters to favor progressive policies, others pointed to signs of increasing fragmentation among youth preferences, with votes split across multiple parties, including the Greens, Liberal Democrats, and even Reform UK.

• Greens
• Liberal Democrats
• Reform UK

Social policy divides are also becoming more pronounced. Farage has called for the lifting of the two-child benefit cap, a controversial measure initially introduced by a previous Conservative government. Labour has so far maintained the policy, sparking internal dissent and criticism from some on the party’s left. Farage, seizing on economic concerns and a worsening housing crisis, argued that the situation requires not only increased benefits but also a dramatic expansion in housing stock. “We’d need to build a house every two minutes to cope with current demand,” he said.

• Conservative

As both major parties navigate the post-election landscape, the sharp contrast in tone and content between Starmer’s institutional reforms and Farage’s hardline stance on public order illustrates the evolving contours of political discourse in the UK. The next phase will test not only the public’s appetite for reform, but also the strategies of parties vying to define what comes after years of Conservative rule.

• Conservative