“Britain is broken”: Nigel Farage tells Dubai audience expat Brits will return if Reform takes power
Farage used a private appearance in Dubai to criticise the state of Britain, pitch Reform UK as a force for change, and tell expatriates that some Britons would return if his party takes power
28 January, 2026
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Nigel Farage used an appearance in Dubai this week to deliver a familiar message: Britain is in decline and Reform UK is positioning itself as the political force to reverse it.
Farage, the leader of Reform UK, is in the UAE this week as part of a visit that included a closed-door lunch with high-net-worth individuals and a private evening event in Dubai on Tuesday.
He was joined by former Conservative chancellor Nadhim Zahawi, who recently defected to Reform, and property tycoon Nick Candy, a Reform supporter.
Invitations were sent to a select group of expatriates and Emiratis.
“What I’ve noticed is that nearly all of London now lives in Dubai,” Farage told the crowd.
“They fled for a variety of reasons, and one of the reasons is a bloke called Sadiq Khan, who is the Mayor of London. It is a complete disaster. Law and order is collapsing, we’re taxing everybody out of the country,” he said.
Looking ahead, Farage struck a more optimistic note — at least for Reform supporters.
“When we’re in government, some of the Brits will come back to London. At least I hope some of you might come back to London for some of the year,” he said.
Farage described the current moment as a “remarkable period” in British politics.
Reform UK has led opinion polls for much of the past year, although support has softened in recent weeks. YouGov polling shows backing for the party at around 25 per cent, down from highs of 29 per cent. A general election does not need to be held until mid-2029.
‘Massive historical change going on’
His combative, populist style — often compared to that of US President Donald Trump — was on full display in Dubai.
“Unlike the UAE, where you’re booming, we’re in decline. Britain is broken. Nothing works anymore. We’re led by incredibly weak and totally useless and characterless men and women in politics,” Farage told the audience of several hundred.
“There’s a massive historical change going on, and Reform is that historical change. And we’re optimistic. We’re bullish. We know we can turn the situation round, make Britain attractive, make London attractive. And actually, a stronger Britain will be an even better partner for all of you here. It will work for both of us,” he said.
As Reform’s electoral prospects have improved, it has begun to attract senior figures from the Conservative Party. Zahawi, a former chancellor and long-serving Tory, is among the highest-profile defectors.
Zahawi was born in Iraq but fled to the UK as a refugee from Saddam Hussein’s regime. He reportedly spends a significant amount of time in Dubai, where he owns property, according to Bloomberg.
Addressing the same Dubai audience, Zahawi framed his return to frontline politics as a personal reckoning.
“I thought I was long retired from politics, except my wife always suspected, because I remain tax domiciled in the UK, that I wanted to go back into politics. And the choice was very simple, and actually Nigel referred to it when we did our press conference together, which is: you’re either going to fight or you’re going to flee. And I’ve chosen to fight,” Zahawi said.
“We have to fight. We have to reclaim England, Scotland, Wales and Northern Ireland. Why? Because it matters. And that matters to everybody here. Many of you here, and I’ve spoken to you tonight, have assets in the UK, have businesses in the UK. And I have to tell you, if you put country before party, you will come down to only one conclusion, which I came to, which is that we had to get behind Nigel Farage and Reform to get rid of the shower that is the government,” he said.
Referring to the Labour government that took office in 2024, Zahawi echoed Farage’s argument that Britain is on the wrong trajectory.
“My old party took about 14 years to reach the level of chaos and civil war and civil strife that we’ve seen within the space of 14 months. The country deserves better.”
“Many of you here — and I’ve spoken to you tonight — have assets in the UK, have businesses in the UK,” Zahawi said.
Zahawi’s comments come against the backdrop of growing concern in the UK about high-net-worth individuals leaving the country, following the Labour government’s decision to end non-domicile tax benefits in April 2025.
Under the new rules, the UK moved from an open-ended tax break for non-doms to a four-year window, after which qualifying individuals are taxed on their worldwide income and gains.
Many of those affected have chosen to relocate to the UAE in recent years.
Wealth migration firm Henley & Partners estimates that the UAE recorded a net inflow of 9,800 dollar millionaires in 2025, with collective investable wealth of around $63bn.
By contrast, the UK experienced a net loss of 16,500 high-net-worth individuals last year, collectively holding an estimated £66bn in liquid investable assets, according to Henley & Partners.
Meanwhile, Farage will return to London following a further event, hosted by GB News, on Wednesday 28 January in Dubai.
