Key Points
- West Midlands Police are investigating reports that a female protester was assaulted at the Reform UK party conference.
- Officers appealed directly for the woman to contact them to help with their enquiries.
- Environmental group Climate Resistance said its members disrupted Nigel Farage’s keynote address, unfurling banners and accusing the party of taking money from billionaires.
- Security guards removed several protesters from the venue after delegates booed and shouted at them.
- The protests occurred while the party faced separate allegations over breaches of foreign political donation rules.
Birmingham (Birmingham Express) September 5, 2026 – West Midlands Police have urged an unidentified woman to come forward after an investigation was launched into an alleged assault during the Reform UK national party conference in Birmingham. The annual event, held at the National Exhibition Centre (NEC) in Birmingham, was repeatedly interrupted by environmental activists while party leader Nigel Farage addressed delegates on stage.
As reported by Joe Sene and Stefan Rousseau of the Press Association, two women interrupted the proceedings by standing in the main conference hall and displaying a prominent banner that read “Reform works for billionaires”. Delegates in attendance responded with heavy booing and chants of “out” before venue security intervened to remove the individuals from the auditorium. Broadcast television camera footage captured one female demonstrator being physically carried out of the hall by security staff.
Addressing the hall during the disturbance, Mr Farage remarked to the audience: “We’ve got a screamer. Oh dear”. Following further disruptions, Mr Farage added: “That poor young girl, she looked like she was going to do herself an injury,” before describing the interruptions as “boring, boring, boring”. He later joked to attendees that ticket fees for the annual gathering might need to be increased in future years to deter demonstrators.
A statement issued by West Midlands Police regarding the incident noted: “We haven’t received a complaint but would ask the woman involved to come forward and contact us so we can carry out enquiries. Anyone with any information should contact us on 101 quoting log number 924 of September 5“.
Who was behind the demonstration inside the conference hall?
Campaign organisation Climate Resistance confirmed that its members had staged the protest inside the NEC. Activists shouted slogans including “Nigel, you’re bankrolled by billionaires” and “billionaire bootlickers” as they were escorted out by venue staff.
As reported by the Press Association, 35-year-old Climate Resistance campaigner Katherine stated that the group intended to highlight the origin of the political party’s financial backing. Speaking to reporters, Katherine said: “We wanted to draw attention to the fact that Reform is backed almost exclusively by shady parties linked to fossil fuels, other extractive industries, and essentially that there’s a complete lack of transparency about their funding”.
Responding to Mr Farage’s public dismissal of their action, Katherine added: “I’m sure that Nigel Farage and Reform want to paint these questions as boring, but I don’t think that most people in this country see basic questions of accountability and transparency as boring issues. I think they’re core to our functioning democracy”.
As reported by Press Association journalists, Climate Resistance spokesman Sam Simons commented further on the campaign’s stance, stating: “We have to expose Reform for who they really are, a party built for billionaires and big business. While ordinary families struggle to put food on the table, Reform threaten to decimate our public services, slash rights for working people, and rig our broken economic system to line the pockets of shareholders”.
During a separate address by Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice, a banner displaying the message “Collect £5 million, burn the planet” was revealed on stage behind the speaker. The artwork portrayed Mr Farage wearing a top hat while carrying a bag of money, remaining visible for several minutes before security staff managed to remove it.
Why was there a delay to Nigel Farage taking the stage?
Mr Farage’s appearance on stage was delayed, which he informed conference delegates was due to a “security alert”. Media reports subsequently cited undisclosed Reform UK sources suggesting that Counter Terrorism Policing had advised against his immediate appearance.
However, West Midlands Police issued a clarifying statement to correct these claims. The force stated: “The decision to delay the commencement of the leader of Reform UK’s keynote speech was made by Reform UK”. The spokesperson added: “We can confirm that Counter Terrorism Policing have had no involvement in the delivery of the Reform UK Party Conference 2026”.
Background of the particular development
The security disruptions in Birmingham occurred amidst broader scrutiny surrounding Reform UK’s internal operations and political funding rules. Prior to the leader’s address, undercover investigations conducted jointly by Channel 4 News and Verbatim alleged that the party had accepted research services funded by an overseas corporation. The reports indicated that a foreign entity paid £32,500 for three polling exercises commissioned earlier in the year.
Under United Kingdom electoral law, political parties are prohibited from accepting donations—including in-kind support such as research or polling—from non-permissible foreign entities. Following the allegations, two senior party figures, head of policy James Orr and long-standing aide Dan Jukes, stepped down from their roles pending the results of an internal review.
Addressing the claims at the conference, Mr Farage rejected suggestions of illegal activity, characterising the reports as “loose pub talk” that was “simply not true”. Meanwhile, figures from rival political parties, including Scottish First Minister John Swinney and Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, called for formal investigations by law enforcement and the Electoral Commission into party funding practices. The Metropolitan Police confirmed its special inquiry team would assess the reports.
Prediction: How this development can affect political parties, security protocols, and event attendees
The events unfolding at the Birmingham NEC are likely to trigger several long-term operational and political consequences for Reform UK, public venues, and political campaign groups across the United Kingdom:
- Heightened Venue and Conference Security: Following the multiple stage and hall breaches, political parties and commercial venue operators like the NEC will likely review delegate entry checks, ticket verification processes, and perimeter management. Ticket pricing structures and credentialing protocols may be tightened for future events to limit infiltration by non-member protest groups.
- Increased Legal and Public Scrutiny on Activism: With West Midlands Police appealing for information regarding an alleged physical altercation, the boundaries between political protest and venue security tactics will come under heightened legal analysis. Demonstrators and political event stewards could face stricter enforcement guidelines regarding physical removals during public gatherings.
- Impact on Parliamentary and Electoral Reputation: The confluence of security disturbances and police assessments regarding electoral finance allegations may influence voter perceptions of party management. As the police inquiry continues, the party’s administrative protocols and oversight of foreign financial contributions will remain under sustained public and regulatory monitoring.
