Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Image source, PA

Richard Tice repeatedly said he was looking forward to holding Prime Minister Andy Burnham to account now MPs have returned from their summer break - but his own party has been facing its share of scrutiny too.

Having gained control of 24 councils in the last two sets of local elections, Reform UK has a record to stand on in local government - which was the main focus of his round of interviews with BBC local radio stations this morning.

In particular, Tice was asked why Reform UK-led councils, including in Leicestershire, had raised council tax, with presenters suggesting the party had given the impression it would do the opposite in election leaflets.

Tice disputed that, insisting Reform UK councillors had shown they were “financially prudent”, adding the party was "doing a good job of getting to grips with wasteful spending".

On a national level, there was some bemusement as to why Reform UK leader Nigel Farage - who is under a parliamentary investigation into a £5m gift he didn’t declare - hadn’t shown up for these interviews.

Tice was adamant that Farage is “going nowhere”, brushing aside any suggestion the party’s leader was under pressure.

Looking ahead, Reform UK’s conference is a chance for the party to make a big splash politically, with Tice adding it will focus on the party's plans for the first 100 days in government should it win the general election.

Tice will be hoping that a summer to forget, at times, can turn into an autumn to remember.

• We're ending our live coverage now, but you can read more in our online article

As a reminder, Reform UK's national conference, happening over three days in Birmingham from Thursday, is the first of a run of party conferences occurring over autumn.

The Liberal Democrats' will be staged on 19 - 22 September, then Labour's on 27 - 30 September, and the Green Party's and Conservatives' events in early October.

Tice will be among the keynote speakers at the Reform event, which will also host Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf and France's far-right National Rally president, 30-year-old Jordan Bardella.

Each event is a chance for the parties' leadership to hone their priorities, sharpen their public messaging, and shore up internal support in what has already been a big year in Westminster politics.

Over the years, each party has sent a representative to be interviewed across BBC local radio stations before their conference gets under way.

Following Tice's appearance this morning, Labour, the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens will have a similar opportunity to make their case on BBC local radio.

Jamie Whitehead
Live reporter

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice spoke with six BBC local stations this morning, stretching from Cornwall to Newcastle, ahead of the party's conference in Birmingham kicking off later this week.

Let's take a look at what he told each station:

• Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester, Tice defended the party's decision to increase council tax by 9% at Worcestershire County Council, saying Reform "had to be honest with people and say the council is effectively bust"
• On what Reform UK councils have achieved so far, Tice told BBC Radio Sheffield that the party had identified "areas where there is mismanagement or waste"
• Tice told BBC Radio Cornwall that more affordable housing was "absolutely vital" in areas like theirs, adding his party would introduce a right to buy scheme to help people get on the ladder
• He told BBC Radio Leicester climate change was real, but the government should focus on adapting to it - rather than "arrogantly thinking we can stop it"
• BBC Radio Newcastle asked Tice if Reform UK was doing enough to ensure professional standards in local government after resignations, expulsions and suspensions in the north east of England, he responded that "the most professional thing to do is save money"
• Speaking to BBC Radio Solent, Tice said Reform UK was "driving the way the decisions are being made" on the Isle of Wight after winning 19 of 39 seats in May, adding he was "confident they'll do a great job"

As a reminder, the BBC local radio round has been a pre-conference tradition for many years. Labour, the Conservatives, Lib Dems and Greens will have a similar opportunity before their conferences.

Thomas Mason
BBC Westminster

Image source, Reuters

Reform UK’s deputy leader Richard Tice has accused Andy Burnham of failing to end wasteful spending under Labour, by spending billions on "net stupid zero" and carbon capture, foreign aid and the cost of ever more migrants coming into Britain.

• For context: Labour pledged in its manifesto to decarbonise the UK's electricity system by 2030, which it says would be partly funded by closing "loopholes in the windfall tax on oil and gas companies"

Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester earlier this morning, Tice was asked if he thought that the number of migrants crossing the English Channel on small boats falling to six-year low was “good news”.

But the Reform deputy said the figures did not include those illegal migrants arriving via other routes, such as being smuggled into the UK on lorries.

Tice argued there are as many people on the northern coast of France looking to cross the Channel as ever.

David Gilyeat
BBC South

Richard Tice tells BBC Radio Solent's Lucy Ambache that Reform are "driving the way that decisions are being made" on the Isle of Wight, despite the fact they "haven’t quite got the majority" after winning 19 out of 39 seats in May.

Independent Jonathan Bacon was elected the leader of Isle of Wight Council following the local elections after Reform did not put up a leadership candidate.

"We are 110-115 days in, and I think the Isle of Wight residents will see an improvement in the way the council is run," says Tice.

When asked if the party missed an "open goal" by not attempting to secure a Reform leader, Tice says its councillors will do a "great job" of "cutting out unexpected expenditure" and "focusing people's time and efforts on the right things".

"I’m confident they’ll do a great job, and they’re looking forward to it," he adds.

Evie Lake
BBC North East & Cumbria

BBC Radio Newcastle's Anna Foster asks Richard Tice if Reform UK is doing enough to ensure professional standards in local government following resignations, suspensions and expulsions in the North East.

Newly elected Sunderland councillor Glenn Gibbins was charged with posting a grossly offensive comment on social media in July in connection to a comment about the city's Nigerian community.

While Northumberland's John Allen was expelled from the party following allegations he made online comments saying he wished to shoot Keir Starmer - Allen never commented on the allegations.

Tice says: "The most professional thing to do is to save money, stop wasting money and deliver better services and across the board we are doing that.

"No one's saying anybody's perfect, what I would say is our team are doing their very best, they will get lots right," he adds.

"As I say no one's perfect," he repeats, adding that the party is "pushing on and that's the reason why in May people voted for more Reform".

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has now finished his round of interviews with BBC local stations around the country.

Stay with us and we'll continue to bring you the key lines of what he said.

Will Jefford
BBC East Midlands

Tice tells BBC Radio Leicester's Ben Jackson that "climate change is real" but that the government should focus on adapting to it, rather than "arrogantly thinking we can stop it".

Like much of the country, Leicestershire suffered from numerous wildfires this summer amid drought conditions and temperatures reaching more than 30C.

Tice says trying to adapt to the changing climate would be "much cheaper and much more effective" than "net-stupid-zero".

When asked if Reform's party conference this week is a chance for his party to reset, Tice says it will continue their momentum by setting out what would happen in the first 100 days of Reform government.

"We're refuelling the car and putting it into eighth gear," he adds.

Next up is Anna Foster for BBC Radio Newcastle

Tice: Farage is ‘going nowhere’ and Reform is preparing for governmentpublished at 10:53 BST

10:53 BST

Thomas Mason
BBC Westminster

Reform UK’s deputy leader, Richard Tice, took a bullish tone as he began his round of BBC local radio interviews.

He tells listeners they will be “hearing a lot from us” as Reform prepares for its annual party conference in Birmingham later this week.

Despite the resumption of an investigation by Parliament’s standard commissioner into whether his boss, Nigel Farage, should have declared a series of gifts provided to him in 2024, Tice insisted “Nigel is going nowhere”.

He says Reform will be talking about, "hope, optimism, and how to create some growth as we start to rebuilt Britain", as it prepares for its first 100 days in government - should it win the next general election.

Chloe Parkman
BBC South West

Speaking to BBC Radio Cornwall's Julie Skentelbery, Tice says more affordable housing is "absolutely vital in areas like Cornwall".

He says his party would introduce a right to buy scheme to help get people on to the housing ladder.

"We know how to get stuff done and we know how to fund it without using taxpayers money," says Tice, adding that the focus would be on "young, British-born people".

"People are being kept on housing waiting lists for a very long time and - quite rightly - people are very upset when people come from overseas, sometimes illegally, and jump through ahead of the queue. That's just not fair," he says.

When asked about water companies, he says his party believes there should be "proper sanctions" for the shareholders and directors of water companies failing in their duties.

Tice faces questions from BBC Radio Leicester's Ben Jackson next.

Steve Jones
BBC Yorkshire

Richard Tice refuses to address a planned policy change at Barnsley Council, which Reform UK took control of in May, that would scale back its school uniform voucher scheme.

Speaking to BBC Radio Sheffield's Paulette Edwards, he instead praises the "great job the team are doing in Barnsley".

"The voters put them in by a huge margin because they realised the council was broken," he adds.

Asked what his party has achieved in local government so far, he says Reform has identified "areas where there is mismanagement or waste".

Tice adds that billions of pounds are being lost due to the "mismanagement" of local government pension schemes.

Up next is Julie Skentelbury on BBC Radio Cornwall.

Elliot Ball
BBC West Midlands

Reform UK's deputy leader Richard Tice has defended his party's decision to increase council tax by 9% while it was in minority control of Worcestershire County Council.

Speaking to BBC Hereford & Worcester's Malcolm Boyden, Tice says: "We had to be honest with people and say the council is effectively bust."

He says the tax rise was the "right and proper thing" after the authority had been "failed" by the previous Conservative administration.

• For context, the Reform-led Worcestershire County Council announced a 9% council tax rise in February after the UK government awarded the authority £59.9m in emergency funding to avoid effective bankruptcy - opposition parties heavily criticised the move

Reform UK lost control of the county council on 14 May after councillors from the party ousted their own leader before a coalition made up of the Green Party, Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, and independents took over.

Tice describes this as a "murky coalition" but said he was interested to see how they performed while in control.

Next up, Tice faces questions from BBC Radio Sheffield's Paulette Edwards, which you can watch live at the top of this page.

The BBC local radio interviews with Richard Tice have begun.

BBC Hereford & Worcester's Malcolm Boyden is the first to question the Reform UK deputy leader.

You can watch live at the top of the page - we'll also bring you the key lines here.

Image source, Getty Images

The party's year began with high-profile defections of Conservative MPs, including former Tory leadership contender Robert Jenrick and former Home Secretary Suella Braverman.

Its fortunes were bolstered during the May local elections, when it picked up more than 1,450 council seats at the expense of Labour and the Conservatives, in a night that set the end of Keir Starmer's prime ministership in motion.

Though days later, the parliamentary standards watchdog opened an investigation into whether party leader Nigel Farage had breached any rules by not declaring a £5m gift he received from billionaire Reform UK donor Christopher Harborne before he became an MP.

Farage resigned as an MP in July, triggering a by-election in his Clacton seat through which he was re-elected last month, declaring that "the voters in Clacton have stuck up two fingers to the entire political establishment".

Farage previously said he had done "nothing wrong" and that the investigation was "being used as a political tool". The watchdog resumed its investigation within hours of his re-election.

More recently, Reform has put forward policies amid broader debates on housing and immigration, including prioritising British-born workers under 35 when allocating social housing, and excluding foreign nationals from most benefits.

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

Image source, PA Media

He once described politics as a “hobby”, but after throwing himself into campaigning for Britain’s exit from the European Union, Richard Tice is a bit more than a dabbler these days.

As Reform UK’s deputy leader and spokesman for business, trade and energy, the MP for Boston and Skegness is one of the most influential parliamentarians on the right of British politics.

A committed Eurosceptic, Tice was a member of the Conservatives for most of his adult life until he quit the party in 2019, in protest over its “betrayal” of Brexit.

Dubbed one of the “bad boys of Brexit”, he teamed up with Nigel Farage to found the Brexit Party. The pair have been close allies since.

In 2021, once the UK had left the EU, the Brexit Party became Reform UK, which has turned into an electoral force under Farage's leadership.

Earlier in life, business was Tice's priority and he worked in property for more than 30 years.

Conference is chance to regain initiativepublished at 09:47 BST

09:47 BST

Joshua Nevett
Political reporter

A surreal by-election in Clacton, internal spats and repeated questions about the party’s finances. These were the themes that dominated a difficult summer for Reform UK this year.

They pushed the party outside of its comfort zone and distracted from its efforts to convince voters Reform UK has a credible plan for government.

A £5m gift received and not declared by party leader Nigel Farage has attracted more attention than the party would have liked, drowning out bold policy announcements on immigration and welfare.

But the party’s conference in Birmingham on Thursday is a big opportunity to put its troubles to one side and regain some political initiative.

At the conference, Reform UK will want to sharpen its message, fire up its members and set the direction of travel towards elections that will be a big test of its ability to move on.

Image source, EPA

Reform UK deputy leader Richard Tice will participate in a round of interviews with BBC local radio presenters this morning ahead of this year's party conference season.

We'll be giving a similar opportunity to figures from across the main Westminster parties. Reform UK is in the hot seat first as the party's annual gathering will begin in Birmingham on Thursday.

First up to quiz the deputy leader is Malcolm Boyden on BBC Hereford & Worcester from 10:08 BST, with Paulette Edwards up next on BBC Radio Sheffield and Julie Skentelbury on BBC Radio Cornwall.

They will be followed by Ben Jackson on BBC Radio Leicester and Anna Foster on BBC Radio Newcastle.

Rounding out the hour will be Lucy Ambache with the final questions for Tice on BBC Radio Solent.

We'll be bringing you key lines from the interviews, which you will be able to stream back-to-back at the top of the page by hitting the watch live button.