Politics live: Reform announces plan to rip up Equality Act as Farage unveils top team

Zia Yusuf given home affairs brief as leader unveils top team, claiming to be ‘voice of opposition’ to Labour LiveupdatedNewsUKUK PoliticsPolitics live: Reform announces plan to rip up Equality Act as Farage unveils top teamZia Yusuf given home affairs brief as leader unveils top team, claiming to be ‘voice of opposition’ to LabourDan Haygarth, Athena Stavrou, Millie Cooke & Harriette BoucherTuesday 17 February 2026 20:14 GMTBookmarkCommentsGo to commentsBookmark popoverRemoved from bookmarksClose popoverYusuf promises Reform will rip up treaties that would prevent deportationsYour support helps us to tell the storyRead moreSupport NowFrom reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. 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We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.Your support makes all the difference.Read moreReform UK would repeal the Equality Act on day one if it won the next election, Suella Braverman has announced.The party’s new education, skills and equalities spokeswoman said Britain was being “ripped apart by diversity, equality and inclusion” policies – and the party would scrap the equalities minister, part of her own brief.As Nigel Farage announced members of his front-bench team, he put Robert Jenrick in charge of Reform's plan for the economy, dubbing him the party's “shadow chancellor of the Exchequer”.Mr Farage has unveiled four spokespeople in all who would form part of a cabinet if Reform won the next general election, saying his party was “the voice of opposition” to Labour.He also announced Zia Yusuf will be Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman, while its new business, trade and energy spokesman Richard Tice said the party would create a new “super-department” in government.Local government leaders are still reeling after Labour abandoned plans to postpone elections across 30 councils this May, in the wake of advice from lawyers following a legal challenge from Reform UK.RecommendedFarage promotes Jenrick and Braverman as he unveils new Reform front benchWhich parties run the councils where elections are no longer postponed?Every Labour U-turn – from tractor tax to digital IDs – as Starmer rows back on postponing local electionsTories could be hit harder by local election U-turn than Labour, top pollster sayskey pointsFarage unveils Jenrick as Reform's 'shadow chancellor' as he names party's top teamStarmer abandons plans to cancel May council elections in latest U-turnFarage refuses to apologise for taxpayer cost of footing bill for legal fees and electionReform lead over Labour down to five pointsYusuf calls for government to publish legal advice that led to election U-turnWho is running in the Gorton and Denton by-election?The people of Gorton and Denton will be heading to the polls next week to vote in what is expected to be a major test for Sir Keir Starmer and the Labour Party.Among the candidates hoping to be elected are a plumber, a GB News presenter and a retired police officer, as Labour tries to fight off the threats from both sides of the political spectrum to retain the north west seat.In a bid to appeal to disheartened Labour voters in the historically safe seat, the Green Party is pushing local plumber Hannah Spencer, while ex-academic Matt Goodwin, who has been criticised for comments on race and gender, is on Reform UK’s ballot.Meanwhile, local councillor Angeliki Stogia is fighting to defend Labour’s 13,000 majority, after the party controversially blocked the popular Manchester mayor Andy Burnham from running.Elsewhere, nine other candidates from the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats and others will also be standing in the election on 26 February.Politcal reporter Athena Stavrou takes you through who the candidates are here.Who are the candidates running in the Gorton and Denton by-election?As voters prepare to cast their ballots next Thursday, The Independent looks at who the options areHarriette Boucher17 February 2026 19:41In pictures: Farage announces Reform's top team(Getty)(Reuters)(Reuters)Harriette Boucher17 February 2026 19:18The 30 local councils where elections will now go ahead in MayThe government has abandoned plans to postpone local elections for dozens of councils in May after receiving legal advice against the move.Of the 63 councils able to apply for a delay, a total of 30 were due to go ahead with the postponement.The councils that were due to have their