Hampshire farmers got one of the biggest rounds of applause at this evening’s Reform UK rally in Basingstoke.
The event at the Hampshire Court Hotel saw around 1,200 attendees watch Reform UK party chair Dr David Bull, former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and party leader Nigel Farage host a rallying-call ahead of May’s local elections.
Farmers and tractors from campaign group Farmers Take Action (FTA) lined the entranceway to the Chineham venue and was highlighted amongst the prevailing political messaging of the day which included fuel duty, immigration and HMS Dragon’s tardy deployment to Cyprus.
“There is an assault on our farming communities”, said Mr Farage.
“There is an assault on our traditional way of life.
“There is an assault on country people. There’s almost a hatred of country people coming from an urbanised Labour party.”
Referring to Basingstoke and Deane being in the ‘middle of rural Hampshire’, the Clacton MP said he was ‘really honoured’ that the tractors and farmers from FTA were able to attend outside the venue.
The FTA was created to ‘unite sectors within the food system including farming, fishing, and transport’ along with other small businesses who contribute to the sector to ‘fight for a strong and supported farming sector’.
“A lot of farms are being sold, and being bought up by American private equity firms”, added Mr Farage.
“The reason we have this much treasured landscape… is because families – whether with large or small plots of land – have husbanded the British countryside century after century.”
It appeared that Mr Farage also gave his commitment to overturn Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council’s recent decision to permit the building of a 72-acre solar farm in Kingsclere.
Mr Farage said, “The thought that Watership Down is now going to be covered in utterly useless Chinese manufactured solar panels is the wilful destruction of this ‘green and pleasant land’.
“And we will end it.”
Local elections for Overton are due to take place for parish, borough and county on Thursday May 7th 2026.
It is understood that people wishing to stand for Reform UK have until this Sunday to commit, with candidates’ names being announced by the party on or around Saturday 21st March.
