Richard Tice defended Farage Fest on Channel 4 News after Tendring District Council refused a Late Temporary Event Notice for the Great Oakley rally because the application came too late. He said “it was a private party and it was a good party” after hundreds attended the event in Great Oakley, Essex.
The dispute now turns on whether the organisers met the five working days’ notice required for the council to consider the application. Tendring District Council says its investigation into whether the event was unlawful is continuing.
Great Oakley rally
The event took place on 13 August at Great Oakley airfield as an invite-only gathering for Reform supporters. Attendees paid to enter and were allowed to camp and park on-site, while live music, alcohol and a Ferris wheel were part of the rally.
Nigel Farage attended overnight as the Clacton by-election results came in, and he was declared the winner in the early hours of the following morning. The rally was held to celebrate that result, linking the licence dispute directly to an event built around the by-election outcome.
Richard Tice and Reform UK
When asked by the, Tice described the event as “a private party and it was a good party”. He also said, “Lots of people enjoyed it and do you know what? We can be serious, we can come up with great policies, we can work hard. And then, guess what? We can celebrate. That's literally what normal people do.”
He added, “Are we not allowed parties these days? Are we so boring and dull that we’re not allowed parties?” when asked if he was worried about a possible prosecution. Reform has maintained that no rules were broken and that the party was lawful, while also saying the licence was not needed and had been applied for on a precautionary basis.
Tendring District Council
Tendring District Council refused the Late Temporary Event Notice because the application had not been made in time. Organisers of such events must give the council at least five working days’ notice, so the decision left the rally exposed to an investigation over whether it should have gone ahead in the form it did.
If the council decides to prosecute the organiser, the penalty could be a fine or even a custodial sentence. The council said it will announce its next steps later, and that leaves the immediate question on the organiser’s side simple: whether the case stops at an inquiry or moves into enforcement.
