Nigel Farage has predicted that economic chaos will force Sir Keir Starmer to hold an early general election in 2027.

The Reform UK leader made the somewhat surprising claim during his keynote speech at the Banking Hall in the City of London earlier today.

Mr Farage said: “The markets are getting nervy. We’ve seen this with 10 and 30-year gilt yields.

“In fact, I think my own view is that in two budgets’ time, the markets will actually force the Chancellor into what will be a genuine austerity budget, at which point the left in the Labour Party won’t buy it.

“And it’s why I still stand by my prediction that there will be a general election, caused by economic collapse that will happen in 2027.”

However, today was not the first time the Reform UK leader predicted that Labour would need to hold an early general election.

Mr Farage made a similar prediction in August when he was unveiling Reform UK’s plan to deport illegal migrants.

He doubled down on an early poll during his keynote speech at Reform UK’s annual conference in Birmingham in early September.

Despite preparing for a 2027 poll, the power to call an early general election lies with the Prime Minister.

However, Mr Farage’s comments about the left of the Labour Party appear to suggest that the Reform UK leader believes a backbench rebellion could see Sir Keir Starmer lose a no-confidence vote.

Ex-Labour leader Jim Callaghan was the last Prime Minister to lose a confidence vote, with SNP switchers forcing an early poll in 1979.

There have been thirteen unsuccessful no-confidence votes since Margaret Thatcher came to power in the subsequent General Election.

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