Nigel Farage walks to the stage during a Brexit Party rally at Mill Farm Sports Village, Wesham. Image by Peter Byrne, 4 May 2019. © Alamy
On 4 May 2019, Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe appeared together at Mill Farm, the home of AFC Fylde, as part of the Brexit Party’s campaign for the 2019 European Parliament elections. The event attracted a crowd of around 1,600 supporters, making it one of the party’s largest campaign rallies in the North West during the election campaign. The venue’s main stand was filled with supporters who had travelled from across Lancashire and beyond to hear speeches from the party’s candidates.
Nigel Farage was the principal speaker, setting out the Brexit Party’s argument that the result of the 2016 referendum should be implemented without further delay. His speech focused on the party’s criticism of the political establishment and its commitment to leaving the European Union. The rally formed part of a nationwide tour that saw the Brexit Party hold events across the UK ahead of the European elections.
Ann Widdecombe, who had recently left the Conservative Party after more than fifty years to join the Brexit Party, also addressed the audience. Her decision to stand as a Brexit Party candidate had attracted considerable national attention, and her appearance at Mill Farm was one of her first major campaign speeches. Drawing on both her political career and her public profile, she argued that the Brexit Party represented voters who believed the referendum result should be honoured.
Ann Widdecombe – Image by Peter Byrne, 4 May 2019. © Alamy
The rally generated significant national media coverage. Journalists described an enthusiastic atmosphere inside the stadium, with supporters waving Union Flags and cheering speeches by Farage and the party’s candidates. The event illustrated how Mill Farm, primarily known as a football venue, had briefly become the setting for one of the most closely watched political campaigns of 2019.
Less than three weeks later, in the 2019 European Parliament election, the Brexit Party secured the largest share of the UK vote, winning 29 seats. Both Nigel Farage and Ann Widdecombe were elected as Members of the European Parliament, making the Mill Farm rally one of the campaign events that preceded one of the most significant electoral victories in the party’s history.
On 20 June 2024, five years later, Nigel Farage brought his Reform UK campaign to Blackpool, addressing a sold-out crowd at the Imperial Hotel.
Nigel Farage speaks during a Brexit Party rally at Mill Farm Sports Village, Wesham. Image by Peter Byrne, 4 May 2019. © Alamy
Ann Widdecombe speaks during a Brexit Party rally at Mill Farm Sports Village, Wesham. Image by Peter Byrne, 4 May 2019. © AlamyMill FarMill
