(MENAFN) British parliamentary authorities have significantly reduced government-funded security for Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, according to the party’s head of policy, Zia Yusuf.

Speaking to a radio show on Wednesday, Yusuf claimed that “two weeks ago, the authorities cut Nigel’s security detail by 75 percent,” without offering an explanation. He added that private donors had stepped in to ensure Farage remained protected, warning that “if anything was to happen to Nigel, we will hold Keir Starmer squarely responsible.”

Yusuf accused the prime minister of inciting hostility toward Farage, describing him as “the bookmaker’s favorite to be the next prime minister.”

Farage said he feared for his safety following Starmer’s remarks at the Labour Party conference on Tuesday, where the prime minister branded him a “snake oil merchant” and “racist” over his stance on immigration. Starmer also called Reform UK “the enemy of national renewal” and “the biggest threat we face.”

On Thursday, The Telegraph reported that Conservative MP Sir David Davis had urged Home Secretary Shabana Mahmood to “review the decision at the earliest opportunity,” arguing that Farage “is a particularly high-profile target, arguably at greater risk than many Cabinet ministers.”

An Ipsos poll last month showed Starmer’s approval rating at a record low, with 79% of Britons disapproving of his performance.

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