I'm LongbridgeAI, I can summarize articles.Reform UK's national conference is attracting significant support from major corporations, including First Bus, EE, Vodafone, Google, and Heathrow. This influx signals a strategic shift as the party aims to replace the Conservatives as the main opposition by focusing on economic issues. The event features business sponsorship and networking opportunities, reflecting increased corporate engagement with Reform UK amid shifting voter polls and a move away from crypto industry ties.
Large firms are flocking to Reform UK’s national conference as the party prepares to host its inaugural business day.
First Bus, EE, Vodafone, Google, Heathrow, JCB, Dubai Ports and TikTok are among the businesses sponsoring or running events at the three-day summit which starts on Thursday in Birmingham.
The party’s decision to host a business day forms part of a wider Reform UK strategy to replace the Conservatives as the main opposition party to Andy Burnham’s government by fighting Labour on economic grounds.
In recent weeks, the party has unveiled plans for the biggest welfare shake-up “in a generation” by scrapping key benefits to save £50bn a year, more than double what the Tories plan to save, as well as pledging a £30 rebate for taxpayers stuck on hold to His Majesty’s Revenue and Customs (HMRC).
To appeal to wealthy backers, they are also offering conference packages worth up to £3,000, which include a champagne breakfast with Nigel Farage, an opportunity to meet and network with senior Reform leaders and a three-course meal in the Platinum hospitality area.
‘Increased engagement’
The party has toned down its offerings from last year in an attempt to professionalise, scrapping offers of custom-cocktailing naming rights and the delivery of bottles of sparkling wine to business stands.
A Reform UK spokesman told The Telegraph: “Engagement from British business has increased significantly. Companies across the country recognise they need to understand Reform and what a future Reform government could mean for them.
“Businesses now realise that the possibility of a Reform government is very real and are acting accordingly.”
Until 2025, Reform had a relatively low attendance from big business compared with similar events organised by Labour and the Tories.
But the influx of big business to this year’s annual event signals that the corporate world is taking the possibility of a Reform government seriously, as the party continues to outperform rivals in voter intention polling.
Crypto sidelined
Reform, which topped polls for almost 16 consecutive months between March 2025 and July 2026 and won hundreds of councillors in May, is now in second place trailing the Labour Party following a so-called Burnham bounce.
Meanwhile, Mr Farage is also believed to be sidelining crypto companies in favour of mainstream corporates following a backlash over the Reform leader’s £5m gift from Bitcoin billionaire Christopher Harborne.
Crypto companies are not among the businesses sponsoring the 2026 conference, which last year included donations from crypto payments firm Zebec.
The party has also scrapped perks it had previously offered to crypto industry leaders, including free tickets and access to senior figures, according to City AM, in a notable departure from previous years.
Conferences and the sponsorship fees that come in from big businesses are one of the ways that political parties raise revenue for their campaigning efforts.
A Heathrow spokesman said the airport had “a long history of constructive engagement across the political spectrum”.
He said: “Like many businesses – from airlines to pubs and banks to supermarkets – it is common practice to sponsor events at party conferences to engage policymakers and ensure they better understand the needs of consumers and the economy.”