Furious row erupts between Nigel Farage and Conservatives - 'They got their sums wrong!'

 Nigel Farage and Reform UK have been accused of getting their sums wrong by £10billion after they set out a rescue package for pubs. Conservatives accused the rival party of making a series of huge promises without having any idea how to pay for them, with Shadow Chancellor Sir Mel Stride saying: "Reform aren't coming up with credible plans - they're serving up fantasy economics, and hardworking people would pay the price."

But Reform hit back and accused the Conservatives of botching their own numbers. At one point under the last Conservative government, 30 pubs per week were closing, said Reform. The row comes after Mr Farage's party set out a radical plan to save British pubs, including cutting VAT to 10% for the hospitality sector, scrapping the employer National Insurance increase for hospitality businesses, cutting beer duty by 10%, and gradually abolishing business rates for all pubs.

Reform said it would pay for this by reinstating the two-child limit on Universal Credit apart from for British families where both parents are in work, which it said would save £3billion.

But Sir Mel said that the Reform plan would actually cost £13billion, leaving a £10billion gap that could only be funded by more taxes or more borrowing - leading to higher interest rates.

Tories are claiming the policy is just one example of what they call Reform's "pattern of wildly understating costs, obscuring the detail, and hoping the arithmetic will be ignored".

They hope it will contrast with the Tory approach, which they say is "responsible".

The Tory plan is to make £47billion of savings through welfare reform, a smaller Civil Service and lower overseas aid spending, with half the money available for tax cuts and the other half used to reduce the Government's deficit.

Sir Mel said: "Reform's pubs proposal blows a £10billion hole in the public finances, with no explanation of how it's paid for.

"It's just more fantasy numbers from Reform, on top of all the unfunded promises they've already made. It's totally irresponsible.

"Their sums just don't add up. How can anyone trust a word Reform say if they won't explain where any of it comes from?"

A Reform spokesperson said: "Our plans have had the backing of two of Britain's biggest pub operators. Most sensible people would trust their judgement over Conservativess.

"Minor party Mel would do better apologising for the 104,400 pubs which closed under the Tories."