Nigel Farage has outlined plans to eliminate working from home arrangements as Reform UK positions itself on a “general election war footing” ahead of crucial May elections.
The Reform leader addressed approximately 2,000 supporters at a Birmingham rally on Sunday, where he announced preparations to unveil his shadow cabinet this week whilst declaring his party ready to win the next general election, which he hinted could arrive sooner than expected.
Farage’s attack on remote working represented a central pillar of his call for an “attitudinal change to hard work” across Britain. He dismissed claims that employees are more productive working from home as “nonsense,” arguing people work better as part of office-based teams.
“People aren’t more productive working at home – it’s a load of nonsense. They’re more productive being with other fellow human beings and working as part of a team,” Farage stated.
The Reform leader extended his critique of workplace culture beyond remote arrangements, stating: “You can’t go on the sick because you’ve got mild anxiety. But it is an attitudinal change that Britain needs. An attitudinal change to hard work, rather than work-life balance.”
Farage first pledged to end work from home culture in May ahead of local elections, telling voters that staff in Reform councils would face an ultimatum: “You either work from the office or you’re gone.”
Office for National Statistics data shows the number of people working from home doubled between late 2019 and early 2022, rising from 4.7 million to 9.9 million. Latest official figures from the start of 2025 recorded 28 per cent of the UK workforce in hybrid arrangements whilst 13 per cent work fully remotely.
The rally also saw Farage call for Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s resignation, adding to mounting pressure over the scandal surrounding the appointment of Lord Mandelson as US ambassador. The Reform leader told the National Executive Committee his party was preparing for imminent electoral combat.
Farage described the May 7 elections as “crucial” and claimed Scottish Labour leader Anas Sarwar’s calls for Starmer to resign would make it impossible for Labour to fight effectively in the looming Scottish contests.
All Reform MPs joined their leader on stage as the rally concluded, with the group throwing branded shirts into the crowd whilst Farage welcomed recently recruited team members. The Reform leader stated his party now has “the right people” as he prepares to announce his shadow cabinet lineup.
The unveiling of Reform’s shadow cabinet this week will provide the clearest indication yet of how Farage intends to structure his party for government, should current polling translate into electoral success. The appointments will signal which policy areas Reform prioritizes and which MPs have secured senior positions.
Reform’s positioning on workplace culture forms part of a broader agenda targeting what Farage characterizes as declining work ethic and productivity. The party’s stance contrasts with widespread adoption of flexible working arrangements across both public and private sectors since the pandemic.
The May 7 elections will test Reform’s organizational capacity and voter appeal in multiple regions, providing momentum indicators ahead of any general election. Farage’s suggestion that a national poll could arrive earlier than the scheduled 2029 date reflects confidence in current polling showing Reform leading nationally.
