However, the move has upset Westminster think tank Reform which says the name change “risks undermining” the “longstanding goodwill in our name”.
The think tank says it has already received calls, emails and donations intended for Reform UK, which they say proves the proposed name “is leading to voter confusion.”
They have written to Mr Farage asking him to “reconsider” the name change. They have also asked the Electoral Commission to reject the application.
The letter said: “We are determinedly independent and strictly non-party political. As a charity, this independence is absolutely core to our reputation and work, and therefore the longstanding goodwill in our name.
“Renaming the Brexit Party ‘Reform UK’ risks undermining that goodwill through the confusion and /or presumed association with a political party.”
Director Charlotte Pickles said: “We are flattered that Mr Farage would want to copy our name, however in doing so he is undermining almost two decades of work establishing our reputation for producing genuinely reformist and evidence-based policy research.
“We are a small charity and our independent, non-party political status is absolutely central to our ability to raise funds to support our work.
“We are kindly asking Mr Farage and The Brexit Party to consider our very serious concerns and pick a different name.”
The Brexit Party contested 275 seats and took two per cent of votes but did not succeed in electing an MP in the 2019 general election.
On the name change, Mr Farage said previously: “As promised, we continue to keep a very close eye on the Government’s trade negotiations with the EU, to ensure a proper Brexit.
“Further reform in many other areas is also vital for our nation’s future.”
Chairman Richard Tice added: “The need for major reform in the UK is clearer now than ever.
“A new approach is essential, so that government works for the people, not for itself. The most urgent issue is a new coronavirus strategy, so that we learn to live with it, not hide in fear of it.”
