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Inside the Reform Party

(160 Posts)
MaizieD Wed 17-Jun-26 12:14:29

Interesting reading from a tory defector to Reform who now wants to return to the tories. Published on 'conservative home'. which is free to read,

Discussing the factionalism within Reform

Reform are like one big HMO – they don’t like each other and are united by grievance alone.

Whilst speaking to grievance is a part of politics, good governance depends on those willing to serve in the public interest to fix the problems, not just spin them.

The infighting in Reform is toxic and make past Tory spats look like playground arguments.

He identifies the factions, then continues:

Another issue I had come up over again was how unprofessional the party is. They are not concerned about their own policy; it is here today gone tomorrow. They rewrite their own party rules quarterly to reflect the latest factional battles. The changes serve as a sort of historiography of who’s up and who’s down.

conservativehome.com/2026/06/17/robbie-lammas-i-made-a-mistake-defecting-to-reform-they-are-not-a-serious-party/

There was another article by a disaffected Reform group deputy leader flagged up here, but I don't have a subscription to the media which published it. He apparently described the party as 'toxic'

bsky.app/profile/fascinatorfun.bsky.social/post/3modafcv5ic2j

This really isn't a party to seriously consider for government, is it?

Meandrogrog Thu 18-Jun-26 10:16:40

LizzieDrip

Agreed MollyNew.

The ‘let’s give ‘em a go’ attitude is very dangerous. Giving Reform ‘a go’ could bring about the ruin of our wonderful country.

The damage they would do in a 5 year term is immeasurable, and the country may never recover.

So let’s not ‘give ‘em a go’ eh!

Exactly how I feel about Labour, and they are actually ruining the country right now!

nanna8 Thu 18-Jun-26 09:30:33

I’d be more worried about Rupert Lowe’s party. There’s a real threat and true right wing extremism. Frightening.

AGAA4 Thu 18-Jun-26 09:28:39

Christopher Harborne Reform's main contributor has links to Russia. He's giving funds to Reform and Farage to have a major influence on them.

fancythat Thu 18-Jun-26 09:25:00

A Party cannot live on it's history though.

Maremia Thu 18-Jun-26 09:19:44

And much more

Maremia Thu 18-Jun-26 09:19:26

Child benefit

Maremia Thu 18-Jun-26 09:19:11

Minimum wage

Maremia Thu 18-Jun-26 09:18:56

What did Labour ever do for us?
Apart from the NHS?

foxie48 Thu 18-Jun-26 09:05:00

MT62

Still though, I won’t be giving labour the time of day. I can’t stand them!

You might not but sadly thousands will because they think life would be better with Farage in control. It won't.

Lovetopaint037 Thu 18-Jun-26 08:46:22

AGAA4

Farage and his ilk are disrupters. That's what they are being paid to do by Russia and others. They have no viable policies.
Why some people believe they are the answer I've no idea. Nobody gives a reason why they would vote for them apart from they are different.
They are certainly that and not in a good way .

Spot on. That’s exactly what I think. Farage has done nothing but agitate and can’t even do his job as MP in Clacton.

Wyllow3 Thu 18-Jun-26 00:57:09

Well we are for interesting times as today is election day!

MT62 Wed 17-Jun-26 23:36:15

Still though, I won’t be giving labour the time of day. I can’t stand them!

MT62 Wed 17-Jun-26 23:35:06

LizzieDrip

*MT62 …

“Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and a former Member of the European Parliament, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on November 21, 2025.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010 for accepting approximately £40,000 in payments in exchange for delivering pro-Russian speeches and participating in interviews.

The judge condemned his actions as a grave betrayal of public trust.

Gill's offending took place between 2018 and 2019 while he was serving as an MEP, receiving funds funneled from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician linked to close associates of Vladimir Putin. His crimes were uncovered after Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers stopped and searched him at Manchester Airport in 2021.”

I don’t know much about reform or any of their members, apart from some of the Tories that slithered over to reform.

LizzieDrip Wed 17-Jun-26 22:54:01

*MT62 …

“Nathan Gill, the former leader of Reform UK in Wales and a former Member of the European Parliament, was convicted and sentenced to 10 years and six months in prison on November 21, 2025.

He pleaded guilty to eight counts of bribery under the Bribery Act 2010 for accepting approximately £40,000 in payments in exchange for delivering pro-Russian speeches and participating in interviews.

The judge condemned his actions as a grave betrayal of public trust.

Gill's offending took place between 2018 and 2019 while he was serving as an MEP, receiving funds funneled from a pro-Russian Ukrainian politician linked to close associates of Vladimir Putin. His crimes were uncovered after Metropolitan Police counter-terrorism officers stopped and searched him at Manchester Airport in 2021.”

MollyNew Wed 17-Jun-26 19:54:24

foxie48 The other problem with getting information from social media is that the alogrithms probably guide people to what they agree with or want to hear so they never get to listen to an alternative viewpoint.

valdali Wed 17-Jun-26 19:44:12

LizzieDrip

ronib I often wonder why the Lib Dems don’t do better nationally. It’s a conundrum to me.

Even as a Labour Party member, I frequently agree with statements the Lib Dems make in the HoC etc.

IMO the media doesn’t give them nearly enough air time in relation to their number of democratically elected MPs.

Lib Dems have 72 elected MPs in contrast to Reform’s 8 (and half of them are defectors from the Tories, so not actually democratically elected as Reform) yet Reform’s views are constantly amplified by the media.

Currently I couldn’t see myself voting Lib Dem but, if something utterly outrageous happened within the Labour Party, they’d possibly be my next port of call.

Wouldn’t ever vote for Reform or Restore - my values are a million miles away from theirs.

I do nearly always agree with Ed Davey's points at PMQs & he is very statesmanlike (if that's a word) in making them.
I think tactical voting does work against Lib Dems in GEs in a lot of constituencies - but media should give them more airtime, it's a scandal how much Reform have got in the last few years.

foxie48 Wed 17-Jun-26 19:36:52

That's the problem though isn't it? Too many people who might vote for Reform have no idea of why so many other people are so concerned about them getting into power. The Nathan Gill conviction should have been headline news in every media source but it wasn't. Farage's slush money is something that every voter should know about but they don't. It seems people don't know about Farage appearing on Russian TV and visiting Putin and Putin sympathisers in other countries. How many of the "Unite" marchers are aware that Tommy Robinson is funded by Russians and was in Russia whilst encouraging others to riot on the streets in NI. Sadly most people now get their information from social media that is highly selective in what it chooses to promote and discuss and that's because it's not subject to the same legislation as news channels and newspapers.

Fallingstar Wed 17-Jun-26 19:35:03

Have also heard in favour of voting Reform, rather than saying ‘we just want to give ‘em a go’ or ‘I voted reform because Starmer is boring’, people saying ‘Reform say what others are too afraid to say’ or ‘they represent the silent majority’.
Both those statements are bogus.
Since the whole Brexit circus rolled into town people have not been afraid to say anything when it comes to illegal immigration or even immigration period. Indeed it seems that this is all people talk about including mainstream politicians with an eye on the main chance. If their voices were any louder or more shrill I dare say glasses would shatter. Nobody is afraid.
And who are the silent majority? Firstly as already stated, people are hardly silent and secondly nobody can calculate a majority until the next election.

MT62 Wed 17-Jun-26 19:23:00

Casdon

We know that Nathan Gill, the Reform leader in Wales was paid by Russia when he was an MEP. He’s now in prison.

I wasn’t aware of that Casdon

Casdon Wed 17-Jun-26 18:27:57

We know that Nathan Gill, the Reform leader in Wales was paid by Russia when he was an MEP. He’s now in prison.

MT62 Wed 17-Jun-26 18:24:47

AGAA4

Farage and his ilk are disrupters. That's what they are being paid to do by Russia and others. They have no viable policies.
Why some people believe they are the answer I've no idea. Nobody gives a reason why they would vote for them apart from they are different.
They are certainly that and not in a good way .

Paid by Russia? How do you know that?

MT62 Wed 17-Jun-26 18:18:18

I still like the Tories with Kemi at the Helm. If reform ever get in I’d rather it be as a coalition government with the Tories.

LizzieDrip Wed 17-Jun-26 18:08:55

Agreed MollyNew.

The ‘let’s give ‘em a go’ attitude is very dangerous. Giving Reform ‘a go’ could bring about the ruin of our wonderful country.

The damage they would do in a 5 year term is immeasurable, and the country may never recover.

So let’s not ‘give ‘em a go’ eh!

MollyNew Wed 17-Jun-26 17:52:14

CatsWhiskas

Mr Blobby or Count Binface?

Why not give one of them a chance? They're both "a change" from what's gone before, which seems to be the essential requirement. What on earth could go wrong?

Totally agree with this.

I just do not understand the "let's give 'em a go" line of thought when it comes to running the country. I've seen local news coverage in the Midlands where people are prepared to vote for Reform because Starmer is "boring". I would rather have boring than a man who cannot be honest about a £5 million gift/bribe/donation/investment or whatever explanation he can come up with on the spur of the moment.

Maremia Wed 17-Jun-26 17:25:03

The Lib Dems get close, but never seem to get over the line.