It’s the Nigel Farage chameleon show – flashy, ever-changing pledges, but only one real policy: xenophobia | Polly Toynbee

The Reform leader’s speech was full of contradictions and damaging cuts. But if he makes it to No 10, Labour will be to blameIf you screw up your eyes and look four years into the future, can you imagine a Prime Minister Farage standing victorious on that No 10 doorstep? I’m afraid the answer is yes – just about. I can see that ghastly grin. If everything that can go wrong does go wrong, then it’s not inconceivable, and everyone had better believe it.The showman had on his serious face to talk about the economy in today’s speech. He had some pretty heavy lifting to do, heaving out impossible promises made only a short time ago. Gone was his £90bn tax cut bonanza. Public spending will be slashed instead: Reform has already put 100,000 civil servants “on notice”. Farage the chameleon now says his is both “the party of workers” and one that is “pro-business”. Reform had also briefly posed as the party of poor children with a suggestion that it would end the two-child benefit cap, but Farage rapidly cut back eligibility: now it’s only for couples, only when both work, and only for British nationals. He also promised spending cuts and big cuts to the benefits bill.Polly Toynbee is a Guardian columnistDo you have an opinion on the issues raised in this article? If you would like to submit a response of up to 300 words by email to be considered for publication in our letters section, please click here. Continue reading...

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