Farage Aims to Halve UK Crime with £17bn Plan

Nigel Farage has pledged to invest over £17 billion in measures aimed at cutting crime in half across the UK if elected prime minister.

Unveiling his crime and justice plans at a press conference in London, the Reform UK leader said the proposals—including building five temporary “Nightingale” prisons and deporting more than 10,000 foreign criminals—would be funded by scrapping major government initiatives like HS2 and the UK’s net zero strategy.

A three-page policy document released by Reform UK outlines the estimated annual cost of £3.48 billion, with £2.1 billion allocated to recruiting 30,000 additional police officers and £1 billion toward creating 12,400 new prison spaces. An extra £250 million a year would be spent on renting prison capacity in foreign countries such as Estonia and El Salvador, while £80 million would go toward establishing 100 pop-up custody units in high-crime areas to fast-track detentions.

Farage said Reform-controlled councils would be expected to approve new prison locations “if they’re the right places,” and promised to introduce tougher recruitment standards for police officers, focusing on greater physical strength and resilience.

Justifying the spending, Farage argued: “We’re advocating for major cuts in public expenditure, beginning with the failure that is HS2, which the government is still prepared to pour £50 to £70 billion into. And we’re also challenging the cost of net zero.”

He criticised successive home secretaries for contributing to a sharp decline in public confidence regarding crime, claiming the UK is nearing “societal collapse.” “People are afraid to shop, afraid to let their children play outside. That’s the sign of a society in decline, and it's happening quickly,” Farage warned.

Defending protesters who clashed with authorities outside an asylum hotel in Essex, he said: “I don’t think anyone in London realises how close we are to mass civil disobedience.”

Farage vowed that Reform UK would take the hardest line on law and order the country has ever seen. “We aim to halve crime within our first five years in office. We’ll take back control of our streets, our justice system, and our prisons,” he said. “To every criminal out there—be warned. From 2029, or whenever we take power, if you break the law, you’ll face serious consequences.”

He also confirmed ongoing talks with Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama about relocating prisoners there, although he acknowledged that no discussions had taken place with El Salvador. When asked about the Central American country’s controversial prisons and human rights concerns, Farage appeared to soften his stance, saying, “Trials would still happen here in the UK. El Salvador may be a more extreme example, but countries like Kosovo and Estonia offer very real alternatives.”

Addressing criticism over his past support for James McMurdock—a Reform MP previously convicted of assaulting a girlfriend—Farage defended his position, stating that McMurdock was a strong example of rehabilitation. “He turned his life around, unlike many from his background who end up spending decades behind bars. Do we support rehabilitation? Yes, absolutely.”

McMurdock recently stepped down from the party’s parliamentary group after questions arose over his receipt of £70,000 in pandemic-related bounce-back loans.