Kevin Rowland of Dexys Midnight Runners has hit out at Reform UK for using their iconic 1982 hit ‘Come On Eileen’ at a recent party conference, stating that he is “disgusted” by the unauthorized use of the track. The incident occurred when party leader Nigel Farage walked onto the stage at the NEC in Birmingham on September 4, 2026, accompanied by the classic song.

Following the event, the band utilized their social media platforms to clarify their position, emphasizing that they are “passionately against Nigel Farage’s politics.” Rowland, the son of Irish immigrants, issued a pointed statement regarding the appropriation of his work. “I, Kevin Rowland… am disgusted to learn that Nigel Farage has used our Dexys Midnight Runners’ song to make his entrance for his party conference speech,” he wrote, further noting that the entire band stands in opposition to Farage’s political agenda.

The band has a long history of vocal political engagement. In 2022, they collaborated with Primal Scream on the track ‘Enough Is Enough,’ a song written in solidarity with railway workers and aimed at highlighting the growing wealth gap and the impact of austerity. Rowland has consistently criticized the media for fostering division through culture wars, maintaining that his music serves as a vehicle for his social and political convictions.

Earlier this year, Rowland continued his activism by joining a supergroup featuring Paul Weller, Suggs of Madness, Glen Matlock of the Sex Pistols, and Andy McKay of Roxy Music. The one-off performance at London’s Scala was organized to raise funds for the Health Workers 4 Palestine’s Gaza Medics Solidarity Fund, supporting the reconstruction of maternity wards and the provision of mobile clinics in Gaza.

🚨🇬🇧 NEW: “Come On Eileen” songwriter Kevin Rowland says he is “disgusted” that Nigel Farage used the song as his party conference entrance music

Rowland says he and all Dexys are “passionately against Farage’s politics” pic.twitter.com/gNpOY9b3yM

— Politics Global (@PolitlcsGlobal) September 5, 2026

Dexys recently released their latest album, Love, and are currently preparing for an extensive European tour. The band is scheduled to perform in cities including Stockholm, Berlin, and Paris, before returning to the UK for a series of dates in October and November, including two nights at London’s Hackney Empire.