Nigel Farage plans to target Kemi Badenoch’s seat at next election as he ramps up war of words

NIGEL Farage has unveiled his plan to target Kemi Badenoch’s Essex seat at the next election as he ramped up their war of words.

Reform UK’s leader called the Conservative Party leader a “ranting raving conspiracy theorist” at an event in her constituency.

When the crowd chanted “Sue her! Sue her!” Mr Farage said: “To sue somebody, you have to prove actual harm.

"What she’s done is given us a massive favour and thousands of new members.”

The two leaders had a blistering row over Reform UK’s membership figures during the Christmas break.

Former minister Ms Badenoch claimed he faked a membership counter to show Reform had more members than the Tories.

But Reform UK said her attack only helped them gain members and cash.

While he was on stage at Chelmsford Racecourse yesterday afternoon, a member of the Reform team handed Mr Farage a mobile phone with a ticker showing Reform UK’s membership had passed the 170,000 mark.

He taunted her: “Kemi, are you watching on the livestream?”

It comes after a mega poll showed Mr Farage’s party would win 120 seats if a general election was held now.

Labour would drop to just 278 and the Tories on 157 seats, according to the Stonehaven poll for the i Paper.

Reform has five MPs including two in Essex.

Mr Farage added: “Kemi, because you’ve been so rude, so unpleasant, the accusations you’ve made against me are so wrong, I promise you, we as a party now will put time, money, resource (and) this will become a target seat for us at the next general election.”

The ex-UKIP leader said his party can win the next General Election if the “silent majority speak”.