Nigel Farage was spotted sporting a friendship bracelet in the style worn by Taylor Swift fans while on the campaign trail.
The Reform UK leader was pictured wearing a woven, braded bracelet with the word ‘Reform’ in colourful letters – similar to those worn by ‘Swifties’ on the superstar’s record-breaking Eras Tour.
It comes as Taylor, 34, will kick-off her three-day stint at Liverpool FC’s Anfield Stadium tomorrow evening with 53,000 fans forming the crowd.
Fans of the singer have already taken over the city by racing around Merseyside to collect last-minute merchandise and glitter to complete their themed outfits.
Speaking of Mr Farage’s bracelet, Dr Benjamin Linley Wild, Senior Lecturer in Fashion Narratives at Manchester Metropolitan University, called the accessory a ‘strategic choice’.
Nigel Farage wearing a friendship bracelet in the style worn by Taylor Swift fans while on the campaign trail
Taylor Swift fans have been sporting friendship bracelets to swap with other fans at shows for years
Mr Farage wearing the bracelet on the campaign trail yesterday
Taylor Swift has long made friendship bracelets a favourite part of her shows
Cardboard cut-outs of US superstar Taylor Swift have been put on display in Liverpool stores
Among those arriving in the city for the latesr Eras Tour gigs are (pictured left to right) Nicole Brinley, Paula Butt, Alainna Hertel, Kathleen Boland and Danielle Desimone
‘As Farage seeks to split the Conservative vote and demonstrate that Reform UK can become a credible opposition party, it hints at a more approachable, possibly more emotional side to his character. It suggests Nigel is ”like us”,’ he told The Telegraph.
Excitement was building in Liverpool today with Taylor’s devoted loyalists going around Merseyside collecting merchandise and accessories to finish off their outfits.
Speculation is mounting that huge stars could be accompanying Swift on what will her hundredth show of the Eras tour, with fans suggesting Liverpudlian legend Sir Paul, Florence and the Machine frontwoman Welch or Swift’s fellow American Del Rey could be surprise guests.
Swifties of all ages have travelled from far and wide to attend the sold-out show, with groups of women flocking in from the United States, Canada and across Europe.
Groups of concert-goers were seen posing for selfies on the city’s Taylor Town Trail – a group of eleven art installations dotted all over the city, with each piece representing a different album, or ‘era’.
Kaylee Williams, 18, from Manchester, told MailOnline: ‘This is our version of football.
Heather Cowan packed bags full of Taylor Swift merchandise while preparing for the shows
Maddie Hulton, Kaylee Williams and Alyssa Winstanley joined the ‘Taylor Trail’ in Liverpool
Sophia Grey and her mother Jasmin are seen on the ‘Taylor Trail’ as the star hits Liverpool
Taylor Swift fans known as ‘Swifties’ have been posing for photos alongside devoted street art
This Taylor Swift mural has appeared outside the Phoenix Hotel in Liverpool
Bright pink cowboy hats have become prized purchases for Taylor fans attending her concerts
Retailers across Liverpool have been doing a roaring trade in Taylor Swift-related merchandise
‘You see all the lads getting together, getting excited for the game, asking who’s going to win – this our version of football.’
Her friend, 18-year-old A Level student Maddie Hulton, who has a ticket for Saturday, said: ‘I am looking forward to everything – the glitter, the friendship bracelets, the whole thing. It’s true girlhood.
‘Everyone is coming together and everyone is so lovely and friendly. Everyone’s trading bracelets in the queues. I am going on my own but I don’t feel like I will be alone because everyone is so nice.’
Super fan Chloe Milner, 26, from the Wirral in Merseyside, is going to every one of Swift’s shows in Liverpool.
She said: ‘I have been a fan since I was little and she was the first album I bought, Fearless. Something will definitely happen in the hundredth show.’
Swifties, however, have not just travelled from all over the country to see the Cruel Summer singer at her first show in England but from all over the world.
Stephanie von Neudegg, 33, and MJ Sheridan, 26, travelled across the Atlantic from western Canada to attend the concert.
Miss von Neudegg: ‘We have come here from Western Canada just for Taylor Swift and we leave immediately tomorrow afterwards.
‘We booked it months and months ago. It was the only place we could get tickets and Canada was very, very expensive.’
Miss Sheridan added: ‘We had tickets to Seattle – which is about an hour plane ride from us – but it was going to be four times the price to go there than Liverpool.
‘We have been fans of Taylor Swift since the dawn of time and it’s great to be going together because a lot of our friendship is based around her.
‘And to be in a stadium full of other people who are unashamed Taylor Swift fans is going to be so fun.’
