Reform Watch: Defections, transgressions and a seat for the Greens
Each week we cast over eyes over what Reform have been up to – from bizarre proclamations to the detail of how their attempts to run councils are going.
The Lead is keeping an eye on Reform UK and their fellow travellers. Get in touch on X, Bluesky and Instagram or email ella@thelead.uk with tips and stories. We especially want to hear from readers whose local council is now run by Farage’s followers.
In today’s edition:
Nigel Farage has been found to have committed 17 breaches of the MPs code of conduct, including failing to declare £380,000 of income on time. He has since apologised, claiming he’s an “oddball” who does not do computers. We’re sure one part of that statement is right.
Another senior Tory, former shadow foreign minister Andrew Rosindell has resigned from the Conservative Party and defected to Reform UK, Rosindell justified his defection, saying the Tories were “irreparably bound to the mistakes of previous governments” and not willing to take “meaningful accountability” for poor decisions.
He follows his colleague Robert Jenrick, who swiftly joined Reform after being ousted from the Tories last week. Jenrick said the Conservatives “broke” the country, were “rotten” and had “betrayed its voters”. (The response has been interesting: following the sacking, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch surpassed Nigel Farage in the polls for the first time).
In Derbyshire, Reform UK lost a council seat to the Green Party in a first-of-its-kind gain. Lian Pizzey beat Juliette Stevens by 1,341 votes to 1,091 in the by-election for the Horsley ward for Derbyshire County Council, which Reform gained overall control of at the local elections last year. Things are getting interesting.
Reform’s new London mayoral hopeful, Laila Cunningham, co-owns an “unsafe squat hotel plagued by bed bugs” according to the Mirror. One female guest raised concern over safety at New Dawn Hotel, warning people not to stay there – especially women. Tough on crime? Maybe not.
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Really appreciate this roundup format for tracking Reform's moves! The bit about Badenoch surpassing Farage in polls right after Jenrick's defection is fascinating becuase it suggests voters might actually reward parties for cutting loose problematic members. I've been noticing how defections tend to backfire more than people expecr in modern politics. It's wild seeing the Greens snag that Derbyshire seat from Reform too.