France's Jordan Bardella to speak at Nigel Farage's Reform UK conference

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LONDON — Jordan Bardella will speak at Reform UK’s upcoming party conference in Birmingham, the British party confirmed Tuesday.

Bardella, president of the far-right French party National Rally , will give an address in English to Nigel Farage’s supporters on Sept. 4, the second day of Reform’s three-day get-together.

“I am pleased to welcome Jordan to our party conference,” Farage said in a statement. “He represents a new generation of political leaders who are standing up for their countries, their borders and their people.”

Bardella is a political star in France, whose electoral appeal is expected to form a key part of party leader Marine Le Pen’s strategy as she vies for the French presidency in 2027.

He met Farage in December last year and told the BBC he thought the “extremely resilient” Reform UK chief would be Britain’s next prime minister.

“I look forward to discussing how France and Britain can co-operate to finally stop the boats once and for all,” Farage added on Tuesday.

The volume of small boats crossing the English Channel from France has long been a contentious debate in British politics, with parties largely agreeing the number must be reduced.

The National Rally president has backed greater police cooperation between London and Paris, but wishes to return migrants to “countries of origin” rather than the French coast.

The Spectator first reported Bardella’s upcoming appearance, which follows other right-wing political figures addressing the conference in previous years. Former Finnish Deputy Prime Minister Timo Soini spoke to delegates in 2024 while the Reform Party of Canada’s founder Preston Manning gave a speech in 2025.

Farage is currently fighting a by-election in Clacton, a seaside town on the Essex coast which he represented for two years in parliament, after facing scrutiny over his financial arrangements . The contest will be held on Aug. 13, though no mainstream parties are standing against him.

National Rally did not respond to a request for comment by the time of publication.