Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said in an interview published by the New Statesman on 9 July that he now considers himself "to the left" of both the British public and senior Conservative figures on immigration. Farage stated he is prepared to accept higher levels of migration provided newcomers integrate, and argued that his party has lately softened its stance by supporting skilled-worker exemptions and a cap rather than an outright freeze. Farage predicted that by the next general election Conservative front-bencher Robert Jenrick would adopt a harder line than Reform UK on border controls, reflecting what he called a wider right-ward shift inside the Tory party. Jenrick, a former immigration minister and now Shadow Justice Secretary, has recently urged the UK to consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights and to tighten visa rules, positions that commentators say already place him to the right of Farage on the issue. The exchange underscores intensifying competition on the British right to claim the toughest stance on migration after net figures hit a record 906,000 in 2023. With opinion polls showing Reform UK ahead of the Conservatives, Farage’s remarks signal an attempt to reposition his party toward the centre while warning that a future Conservative leadership under Jenrick could move further toward hardline policies.