Shape-shifting Nigel Farage revealed his true Thatcherite colors by advocating for significant spending cuts and extensive deregulation last week. Working-class communities should be cautious about supporting the privately educated City slicker as his Reform UK party’s policies mirror the harsh realities of the 1980s.

Farage backtracked on a previous pledge of £90 billion in tax cuts, exposing Reform as a party of empty promises. His shift towards extreme Tory-like positions contradicts his earlier stances on nationalizing industries. Criticisms of Reform as a left-wing party have been overshadowed by its harsh austerity measures.

Attempting to stoke division by targeting asylum seekers and minorities may only take Reform so far. Older white voters seeking improvements in their lives do not desire a return to the heartless Thatcher era. Despite attempts to mask its intentions, Reform’s incompetence is evident in its tax hikes and mismanagement in various regions.

Farage and the top figures in Reform are aligned with Thatcherite ideologies, aiming to revive a period marked by social unrest and economic turmoil. The emergence of Farage’s true nature may deter some initial supporters as the reality of Reform’s agenda becomes clearer. The stakes are set.