Matt Goodwin has pinpointed a single factor which could spell trouble for Reform UK amid a deluge of defections from the Conservative Party.
Ex-Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick became Nigel Farage’s sixth MP yesterday after a dramatic turn of events saw Kemi Badenoch turf her ex-leadership rival out of the Tories altogether.
Mrs Badenoch withdrew Mr Jenrick’s membership as well as the whip, leaving the former Cabinet minister without a party in the Commons.
The Newark MP sat as an independent for approximately six hours before Mr Farage welcomed the former Tory as one of his own.
But with the shock defection, along with ex-Chancellor Nadhim Zahawi’s on Monday, critics have hit out at Reform UK for becoming the “retirement home for failed politicians”.
Reform Chairman Dr David Bull refuted the allegations on GB News yesterday.
Now, Matt Goodwin has given his verdict on the matter, arguing the party’s “political revolt could collapse if it becomes flooded with careerists”.
He told GB News: “Let’s be absolutely clear. The reason that Nigel Farage and Reform exists is because millions of people in this country are fed up with the uniparty.
“They’re fed up of Labour and Tory consensus that has presided over 30 years of failure, managed decline, chaos and cultural fragmentation, that political revolt.
Critics have warned of Nigel Farage’s party becoming the ‘Tories 2.0’
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GB NEWS
“The true potential of that revolt will only be fulfilled if Reform and the people who defect to Reform remain committed to the vision that is guiding that movement.
“Ending mass, uncontrolled immigration, leaving the European Convention on Human Rights, doing whatever is necessary to control Britain’s borders.
“Ending woke ideology, ending soft on crime policies, defending free speech, banning Muslim Brotherhood if they remain committed to that vision.
“Then Nigel Farage will be the next Prime Minister of this country and we will get that political realignment.
THE TORY-REFORM UK WAR – READ MORE:
Robert Jenrick joined Reform UK on Thursday
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PA
“If, on the other hand, Reform is flooded with careerists and people who do not share that vision, then this political revolt will collapse, and it will be the British people who will lose as a consequence.
“So I think where reform are today, I think overall is in a good place. You know, they are changing the system. They’re smashing through, they’re breaking the system.
“I think Nigel Farage is doing what he needs to do to get closer to 40 per cent.
“But they need to be clear. If you’re joining this movement, you are signing up to a set of principles that differentiate this movement from the uniparty that has almost destroyed our country.”
Last week, the Reform frontman vowed he was working to professionalist the party, boasting its membership numbers hitting 271,000.
He told the People’s Channel: “The point is that we want the best and the brightest in terms of defections.
“It’s my biggest worry that we don’t turn into the Tory party 2.0. In fact, I’ve just done a training exercise; I trained 200 candidates over the weekend.
“Many of those are former Labour voters, or indeed, they’ve worked for the Labour Party, who have also come across.
“So we are taking people from across the political spectrum, and that’s really important to me. But I have said to Nigel, we are very mindful we do not turn into the Tory party 2.0; you have to subscribe to the values.”