Claim: “Reform UK could cut the minimum wage for young people.”
⚠️ Verdict: Misleading
Summary: In a speech and press conference on 3 November 2025, Nigel Farage stated that there is “an argument” the minimum wage is “too high” for younger workers, and that Reform UK could cut it as one option. Sky News and several other outlets confirmed the comment the same day. The statement is accurate in that he made those remarks, but it lacks specific policy details such as age thresholds, timelines or legislative process. It is therefore misleading to present this as a concrete, ready-to-implement policy.
Analysis
What Farage said: At a City of London event, Farage told journalists:
“There’s an argument that the minimum wage is too high for younger workers, particularly given that we’ve lowered the level at which NIC [National Insurance contributions] is paid to £5,000 a year… So do one or the other — either lift the cap at which NIC is due, or lower the minimum wage for younger workers.”
He made the remarks while defending his decision to step back from earlier large-scale tax cut promises, calling them “only ever aspirations.” Sky News reported that Farage said “substantial tax cuts” are “not realistic” in the current economic climate. Byline Times summarised his position as urging the government to consider cutting the minimum wage for young people “to raise aspiration and boost business.”
Policy status: The statement is not a defined or published policy. Reform UK has not issued any consultation papers, draft legislation or economic modelling supporting a cut to the youth minimum wage. No age thresholds, wage bands or start dates have been outlined. Therefore, this represents a signal or talking point, not a costed proposal.
Current UK minimum wage rates (April 2025) are:
- £12.21 per hour for workers aged 21 and over
- £10.00 per hour for workers aged 18–20
- £7.55 per hour for apprentices and under 18s
Changing these rates would require primary legislation and typically follow recommendations from the Low Pay Commission. Farage made no reference to this process or to any analysis of potential economic or social impacts.
Economic context: Lowering the minimum wage for younger workers could reduce costs for employers and potentially increase hiring incentives. However, it would also lower take-home pay for younger employees, likely reducing disposable income in that demographic. Research from the Low Pay Commission and think tanks such as the Institute for Fiscal Studies shows that modest increases in the minimum wage historically have not caused large-scale job losses, suggesting that wage cuts may not significantly improve youth employment.
Farage’s broader economic plan: The remark came as Farage repositioned Reform UK’s economic message. In the same week, he scaled back the party’s headline pledge of £90 billion in tax cuts, telling journalists that such measures would only be introduced once “the markets are convinced” the economy has stabilised. Reuters and The Guardian both described the shift as a pragmatic retreat designed to improve the party’s fiscal credibility.
Farage’s suggestion to cut youth wages fits that broader pro-business, deregulatory narrative. Yet without published modelling, independent verification or details on who would be affected, the proposal remains speculative. Economically, it represents a shift from populist tax promises toward employer-focused flexibility, but socially it risks being seen as punitive toward younger workers already facing cost-of-living pressures.
Verdict
The claim is True in that Farage did make the statement, but it is Misleading to present it as a concrete policy. No legislative or fiscal framework supports it, and no evidence has been provided that Reform UK could implement such a change quickly or legally. The statement functions more as a political signal than a policy commitment.
Sources
- Sky News – “Nigel Farage says Reform UK could cut minimum wage for young people” (3 Nov 2025)
- Byline Times – “Nigel Farage says minimum wage should be cut for young people” (3 Nov 2025)
- The Independent – “Nigel Farage suggests young people on minimum wage earn too much” (3 Nov 2025)
- The Guardian – “What would UK economic policy look like under Nigel Farage’s Reform?” (3 Nov 2025)
- Reuters – “Farage waters down tax pledges in pitch for economic credibility” (3 Nov 2025)
Related reading: Reform UK plan to scrap Indefinite Leave to Remain · 24× claim: people who arrive illegally are more likely to end up in prison