Nigel Farage has reignited debate over gender roles in the workplace, stating that men are more willing to sacrifice family life for career success compared to women. Speaking to journalists in Westminster, the Reform UK leader argued that modern society is overly "feminising" young men and that women make "different life choices" when it comes to professional ambition.

Farage suggested that his party, which is largely male-dominated, attracts men due to their supposedly more impulsive nature. At the top of Reform UK, men hold the most senior positions, including Farage himself as leader, Richard Tice as deputy, Nick Candy as treasurer, and Zia Yusuf as chair. The party's press and policy teams are also composed primarily of men. When questioned on whether there should be more female representation at the top, Farage responded: “I’m very pro-women, don’t worry about that,” citing several female candidates within the party.

Farage's remarks align with sentiments often expressed in the online "manosphere," a digital space where concerns about the "feminisation" of men are frequently discussed. Although he distanced himself from the controversial influencer Andrew Tate, he acknowledged that Tate's vast following of 10 million young men signals a broader societal issue. Farage has previously noted that Tate represents an important voice for young males struggling in today’s society.

When asked whether the dominance of men in 80% of top business positions was solely based on merit, Farage reiterated his belief that women and men prioritize their careers differently: “I think the truth is that in many cases, women make very different life choices to men. If you look at business, men are prepared to sacrifice family lives in order to pursue a career and be successful in a way that fewer women are. Those women that do probably have more chance of reaching the top than the blokes.”

Criticism of Farage's views came swiftly, with Labour MP Natalie Fleet accusing him of being outdated in his perspective: “Nigel Farage seems to be stuck in the 1970s. He clearly has no idea about the sacrifices women make; how on Earth can his party represent them?” she said.

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