Reform may need to rethink £90bn tax cuts pledge, deputy suggests

Reform UK may need to rethink its pledge to deliver £90bn of tax cuts, the party's deputy leader Richard Tice has suggested.

The Reform UK manifesto published ahead of last year's general election made commitments to slash income tax in particular, as well as large spending pledges on defence.

However, Tice told the BBC: "A manifesto in July 2024 is not appropriate for a manifesto or contract whenever the next general election is."

It comes as the party's annual conference gets under way in Birmingham, following the defection of former Conservative minister Nadine Dorries on Thursday evening.

Tice has expressed an interest in becoming chancellor should Reform UK win power, although he insisted any role would be decided by party leader Nigel Farage.

Asked about what he would do as chancellor, Tice said the party's priority would be to focus on savings and cutting regulation.

"We have to focus on the savings because regrettably the finances of this country are in terrible, terrible trouble," he told BBC Radio 4's Today programme.

"We will have to deal with whatever nightmare situation the government finances are in at the time of the next general election.

"Our promise is to save money, to cut regulations - we deliver on that, then we deliver direction of travel on tax cuts."

Tice was repeatedly asked about whether the election pledges - pitched by Farage at the time as a "contract" with the British people - had been binned.

"I've always said you've got to make the savings and then you can afford performance related tax cuts," he said.

"The audience know that a manifesto in July '24 is not appropriate for a manifesto or a contract whenever the next general election is - a manifesto is a point in time, it's a direction of travel."

With Reform UK claiming a prominent Conservative scalp in Dorries overnight, Tice was asked whether he agreed with her support for "drastically" cutting public spending.

Pressed over whether this was now Reform UK policy, Tice replied: "I've always said that."

Reform continues to enjoy significant leads over more established parties in opinion polls but the next general election may be as late as 2029.

At the party conference Farage is expected to urge Reform UK members to plan for an early election in two years' time, saying the Labour government will collapse due to unpopular spending cuts he claims they will need to introduce.