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Inside the Reform Party

(148 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?

fancythat Wed 17-Jun-26 12:24:15

But the problem is, many are now fed up of the two previous main parties.

It may not be the answer, but what is?
That is how many now feel.

Casdon Wed 17-Jun-26 12:26:23

It’s going to leave the Tories with a real dilemma if those who have defected to Reform decide it isn’t for them, and want to return to the Tory fold. There are rumours about Danny Kruger wanting to go back too - but once somebody has been disloyal I can’t see them being welcomed back with open arms. Particularly people who were disrupters.

fancythat Wed 17-Jun-26 12:27:00

Personally, I am not Lib Dem, though have voted for them previously.
I have never voted Green and dont think I will in the near future.
I vote independent sometimes.
I dont think I am Restore.

A lot of people say "!you have to vote".
Personally I dont subscribe to that really. But for me, I do want to vote for someone or other.

MaizieD Wed 17-Jun-26 12:29:50

It's his description of the internal workings of the party and its real lack of interest in policy which I find disturbing.

Casdon Wed 17-Jun-26 12:36:35

Yes *MaizieD. I watched Maximilian Robespierre yesterday, he included the live interview.

It doesn’t surprise me how little underpinning there is on policy in Reform, but what does surprise me is that surely politicians on the brink of defection would have asked enough question to realise that for themselves. It really smacks of lemmings to me.

Maremia Wed 17-Jun-26 13:03:06

Perhaps the answer to some of your queries is that Reform is an independent company. A company, not a political party.

Shel1951 Wed 17-Jun-26 13:10:03

Mummy I don't like my playgroup ,
Ok son we will take you to the one down the road they have nicer toys,
Thanks mummy, 3 months later...mummy im fed up with the toys and I don't like the other children can I go back to the old one?
.......

LauraNorderr Wed 17-Jun-26 13:11:56

As a Tory, I certainly hope that none of these defectors are welcomed back. I could not trust a person who has made such a huge decision without closely examining all of the detail.
Such poor judgement makes them unworthy to earn a place in government nor in opposition.

LizzieDrip Wed 17-Jun-26 13:21:40

Maremia

Perhaps the answer to some of your queries is that Reform is an independent company. A company, not a political party.

This still leaves me totally gobsmacked!

How can a ‘private company’ be allowed to just set themselves up to (potentially) run a country?

I know it’s the money funding them that’s put them there, but surely this is also part of the problem. That money can be (probably is) coming from bad actors aiming to interfere in the running of our country.

Still can’t get my head around the fact that Reform is not a party with recognised procedures and processes … for instance, do they have a predetermined process for getting rid of a leader who ‘goes rogue’; do they have a predetermined process for electing a new leader?

IMO it’s madness!

CatsWhiskas Wed 17-Jun-26 14:45:18

fancythat

Personally, I am not Lib Dem, though have voted for them previously.
I have never voted Green and dont think I will in the near future.
I vote independent sometimes.
I dont think I am Restore.

A lot of people say "!you have to vote".
Personally I dont subscribe to that really. But for me, I do want to vote for someone or other.

As a matter of interest, why couldn't you vote Conservative?

Fallingstar Wed 17-Jun-26 14:54:59

fancythat

But the problem is, many are now fed up of the two previous main parties.

It may not be the answer, but what is?
That is how many now feel.

I am fed up with the two major parties, have been for decades, but I would never vote for Reform. This recent trend of voting for whatever the cat dragged in because voters feel fed up or are using their vote as a protest is deeply damaging to our democracy because it lowers the bar constantly and leaves the way open for whatever the cat dragged in to actually run the country.

CatsWhiskas Wed 17-Jun-26 15:04:18

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?

ronib Wed 17-Jun-26 15:05:00

I just wish someone anyone would come up with some new ideas. For example, Labour is relabelling green belt land grey. How ridiculous is this? But is anyone in opposition challenging this? Why exactly are foreign investors allowed to buy up new builds for their investment portfolios? Why is real levelling up not happening? Why is the south east developed extensively and the north isn’t? And blah blah…..

Casdon Wed 17-Jun-26 15:08:33

All politicians are people we, the public, have elected, and yet we never deem ourselves accountable.

ronib Wed 17-Jun-26 15:14:56

Isn’t it the best of a very bad bunch? Casdon

CatsWhiskas Wed 17-Jun-26 15:16:48

ronib, I think you've some very valid points, but I honestly can't see Reform or Restore solving any of those problems. Given that a "foreign investor" is funding Restore and Farage personally, I don't think there would be much incentive to stop foreign investors from buying property. I have never noticed that any of them have any concern for levelling up or developing areas outside the south east.

CatsWhiskas Wed 17-Jun-26 15:17:24

ronib

Isn’t it the best of a very bad bunch? Casdon

I honestly do think Mr Blobby or Count Binface would be better.

CatsWhiskas Wed 17-Jun-26 15:18:23

I don't regard Reform as the best of a bad bunch when there are so many negatives attached to them.

fancythat Wed 17-Jun-26 15:19:53

CatsWhiskas

fancythat

Personally, I am not Lib Dem, though have voted for them previously.
I have never voted Green and dont think I will in the near future.
I vote independent sometimes.
I dont think I am Restore.

A lot of people say "!you have to vote".
Personally I dont subscribe to that really. But for me, I do want to vote for someone or other.

As a matter of interest, why couldn't you vote Conservative?

They went too "wet" for me.

I am like, I think it is FGT, in voting ways[though cant speak for her properly].
I feel Parties have moved, and not the voters.

I did try and listen better to Kemi, fairly recently.
She was saying things I liked. Then said, "so the answer is xyz. I thought, "no it isnt"!

ronib Wed 17-Jun-26 15:21:26

I had some hopes that the LibDems would start to speak up. They’re busily fund raising in my area to challenge planning permission in the green belt. I have suggested that the LibDems locally need to start pushing much harder at national level but …..

LizzieDrip Wed 17-Jun-26 15:44:38

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.

Casdon Wed 17-Jun-26 15:46:31

No government, including Reform, Restore or even Count Binface, is going to stop investors wanting to grow their businesses in the South East though ronib, that’s a pipe dream. It’s where the airports are, it’s nearer to Europe, it’s where the best road links to the coast are, the other investors are, where the big city is. For the individual, if they don’t want that, they have to move. It’s not fair, either for the South, or for the deprived areas elsewhere in the UK, but it’s the reality.

AGAA4 Wed 17-Jun-26 15:58:43

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 .

Ilovecheese Wed 17-Jun-26 16:07:55

Casdon

No government, including Reform, Restore or even Count Binface, is going to stop investors wanting to grow their businesses in the South East though ronib, that’s a pipe dream. It’s where the airports are, it’s nearer to Europe, it’s where the best road links to the coast are, the other investors are, where the big city is. For the individual, if they don’t want that, they have to move. It’s not fair, either for the South, or for the deprived areas elsewhere in the UK, but it’s the reality.

You are correct Casdon about foreign investors, but maybe some of the Govt. Departments could move. When the BBC moved to Salford it did wonders for the area and now other entertainment companies have followed.