The Reform UK leader said the UK’s existing trade deal with the EU, negotiated under Boris Johnson, ‘was not a very good one’, but refused to say how he would improve it. Nigel Farage has admitted Britain needs a better post-Brexit deal with the European Union amid Sir Keir Starmer’s reset of relations with the bloc, but refused to say what an improved relationship would look like. The Reform UK leader said the UK’s existing trade deal with the EU, negotiated under Boris Johnson, “was not a very good one”.

“We can improve on that,” the arch-Brexiteer told BBC Radio 4’s Today programme. But, under intense pressure from interviewer Emma Barnett, Mr Farage was unable to say what he would change about the UK’s relationship with the bloc. The interview came the morning after pollster YouGov put Reform UK ahead of both Labour and the Conservatives for the first time, with Mr Farage winning over scores of disaffected voters from both parties.

While Mr Farage has said his insurgent right-wing party will win the next general election, he refused to flesh out details of what he would do about ongoing Brexit chaos. Refusing to set out what specific concessions he would offer the EU in exchange for a more favourable trading relationship, Mr Farage said: “We can improve the deal by saying to them, ‘look, we can make this easier for both of us, we can go back through’, we are up for a renegotiation anyway.

“My fear is we tie ourselves to EU law, we start to accept single market regulations and the many implications from this government, that is what they intend to do.”. An exacerbated Ms Barnett said: “You keep outlining your fears and what you don’t like, but you are an MP now, you’re the leader of a party, don’t you need to say what we can do?”. Mr Farage said that Britain could seek a free trade deal with the United States under Donald Trump and said the EU becomes less important each year. “Let’s think bigger,” Mr Farage added.

But Ms Barnett hit back, pointing to polling revealing a majority of voters in every UK constituency think the government should prioritise trade with the EU over the US and other countries. And she highlighted the case of fisherman Andy Dixon, who on the fifth anniversary of Brexit told GB News of his regrets at voting Leave. Mr Dixon said the decision had been a “disaster” for his industry and that it was “costing him dearly”.

Sir Keir was in Brussels on Monday as part of his ongoing reset of post-Brexit relations with the EU. The prime minister had prioritised defence and security ahead of a meeting with the bloc’s 27 leaders. He has previously promised to “tear down unnecessary barriers to trade”, including with a veterinary agreement to reduce border checks for food. But he is expected to come under pressure over issues such as fishing and a youth mobility agreement, which the bloc have indicated are priorities in the talks.

Mr Farage warned that Sir Keir’s reset means the prime minister is “a rejoiner at heart” and said “I do not see that any steps back towards a failing European Union make sense in a world that is changing very, very quickly”. Ms Barnett also asked Mr Farage about a public snub from Trump ally Elon Musk, who was reportedly said to donate millions of pounds to Reform UK. Just weeks after meeting with Mr Farage and Reform Treasurer Nick Candy at Mr Trump’s Mar-a-Lago mansion, Mr Musk said the Brexiteer “doesn’t have what it takes” to lead his party and should be replaced.