Reform is ‘half-ready’ to take power in Britain, Nigel Farage has said, as he admitted his party’s ranks were being swollen by ex-Tories who ‘lost the argument’ in their former party.
The Reform leader posted a picture on social media today showing his eight-strong team of MPs after Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell joined from the Conservatives, branding them ‘the party of the future’.
At the same time the BBC dropped a new documentary about the party in which he outlined its readiness to take power if it wins an election due in 2029 at the latest.
‘We are half-way towards being ready’, Mr Farage told presenter Laura Kuenssberg, as he claimed the centre-right of UK politics was ‘uniting around Reform’.
Asked about whether the party was now just a home for disgruntled Tories who had not got their own way where they were, he replied: ‘They have lost the argument in their own parties, you are right, that is why they are coming to us.’
Four of Reform’s eight MPs were elected as Tories in 2024, while one, Lee Anderson, was formerly a Tory but defected before the general election and won his seat again.
The Reform leader posted a picture on social media today showing the party’s now eight-strong team of MPs after Suella Braverman, Robert Jenrick and Andrew Rosindell joined from the Conservatives.
At the same time the BBC dropped a new documentary about the party in which he outlined its preparations to take power if it wins an election due in 2029 at the latest.
Two new Reform MPs were revealed to have ‘accidentally’ sided with the Government last night as it removed the two-child benefit cap.
According to Sky News, Mrs Braverman and Mr Jenrick ‘got trapped as the doors were locked’ after mistakenly entering the aye lobby.
They were later recorded as voting with the Government, according to Parliament’s voting data.
It comes after their own policy to lift the cap only for families where both parents are British and in full-time work, with savings to the taxpayer used to help pubs stay open.
Party leader Nigel Farage had previously pledged to abolish the limit as part of a series of spending promises set out in May last year.
Lee Anderson, Danny Kruger, Sarah Pochin, Andrew Rosindell and Richard Tice voted against the Universal Credit (Removal of Two Child Limit) Bill at second reading on Tuesday.
The draft law was supported overall by MPs, passing by 458 to 104 votes, majority 354.
