The Lead is keeping an eye on Reform UK and their fellow travellers. Get in touch on X, Bluesky and Instagram with tips and stories. We especially want to hear from readers whose local council is now run by Farage’s followers. If you've enjoyed reading ReformWatch then sign up to our Substack to receive it in your inbox each week.
One of Reform UK's leading Nottinghamshire county councillors, James Walker-Gurley, found himself living my recurring nightmare in real life: taking an exam he hadn’t studied for. In an interview with Notts Live, Walker-Gurley blundered every question he didn’t have a script for, stating numerous times that he has “no idea”. Neither do we, mate.
And another one bites the dust! Last week, we shared that Reform had lost nine councillors in six weeks. Well, you can make that 10 now that Warwickshire County Council boss Rob Howard has quit citing health reasons — and he’s left a teenager in charge. 18-year-old George Finch sums up his politics as, “Brexit, sovereignty and a strong and united family unit.” And, according to his register of interests, this is his first job.
Farage is a wolf in sheep’s clothing — a fact exemplified no more than by his latest ‘Robin Hood-style’ tax policy, which would allow non-domiciles to avoid some UK taxes by paying a £250,000 fee, the revenue from which would be handed down to the poorest in society (allegedly). Non-doms would pay the fee for a new Britannia Card and in return not be taxed on wealth, inheritance, income or capital gains earned abroad. The policy has been branded “bonkers” and “too cheap” by experts. Obviously.
A Reform councillor in Staffordshire, Mike Broom, has been caught out accepting a gift from a ‘family friend’, who also happens to be the wife and business partner of Wayne Johnston of WJ Group Infrastructure, who have a contract with Staffordshire County Council. So, how was the Kylie Minogue concert, Mike?
In Wales, the party has been accused of using its candidate selection process for the Senedd election as a money making opportunity after it was revealed that would-be MSs will be charged £200 to be assessed, Nation.Cymru reported. Reform says the fee will cover criminal background checks and the cost of hiring a venue and providing food for Senedd hopefuls during the assessment day.
While a lot of the news we share on ReformWatch is laughable, worrying new polling suggests that if a general election were to be held tomorrow, Reform would likely win. An IPSOS poll of 1,180 people showed that Reform had taken a nine point lead over labour, with 34 per cent of the vote share, compared to 25 per cent. A bigger poll (11,500 people), by YouGov, found that Reform would win 271 seats. That’s a big jump from 4! Labour, meanwhile, would secure just 178 seats, less than half of the 411 it won last year, and the Tories would fall to fourth place behind the Liberal Democrats, with just 46 seats.
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