Nigel Farage has announced that a Reform UK government would ban foreign nationals from social housing, requiring tenants to find private accommodation within three months or face deportation — a policy that comes as the party leader’s own multimillion-pound property portfolio is laid bare.
In a 6,800-word Substack essay, the Clacton MP wrote that “anti-white racism was embedded into the state” and that equality legislation was a form of “social cleansing”. The ban would apply retrospectively, regardless of how long someone has lived in the UK, as part of Reform’s plan to abolish Indefinite Leave to Remain. Farage reiterated his party’s policy that foreign nationals would not have access to welfare, and those in social housing would have three months to find alternative private rented accommodation. Those who did not move would lose their right to remain and could face deportation.
“Nigel Farage announces ban on foreign nationals in social housing while his own multimillion-pound property portfolio is revealed.”
Meanwhile, the Reform leader’s property portfolio includes at least four houses, with his partner owning another in his constituency. Farage purchased a grade II-listed property in Surrey for £1.4m in May 2024, weeks after receiving a £5m gift from billionaire Christopher Harborne. The property has since been revamped, with an extension built and internal alterations that a property expert estimated could cost up to £350,000, potentially raising its value to £1.8m. Footage from Cameo, where Farage films personalised messages, appears to show him in the extended part of the house.
He also owns a coastal property in Greatstone, Kent, purchased via his firm for £575,000 in March 2023. Planning documents show a project to transform it into a “substantial contemporary coastal home” worth up to £1.5m, with four bedrooms, a sea view balcony, lift and six toilets. The redevelopment could cost up to £700,000. Reform said the offer and purchase of the Surrey property started before Harborne’s gift; Farage’s spokesman declined to comment on how the revamp was funded.
Social housing, typically cheaper and more secure than private renting, currently has 1.34 million households on waiting lists. A government spokesperson noted that illegal migrants, asylum seekers and those on student or work visas are not eligible, and “nearly nine in 10 social homes go to UK nationals”. Farage argued that politicians had created “a backdoor for anti-white discrimination”.
Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy told Sky News: “People want hope. They don’t want more anger, they don’t want more division.” Liberal Democrat leader Sir Ed Davey accused Farage of “pushing the politics of grievance and division that goes totally against our fundamental British values of tolerance and decency”. Sarah Elliott, chief executive of housing charity Shelter, said the proposal would lead to increasing homelessness and put pressure on councils.
With Reform’s plans also targeting EU citizens’ rights, the contrast between Farage’s policy and his personal wealth raises questions about who his party’s housing agenda truly serves.