(Photograph: Derek Bennett, CC BY 2.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/2.0>, via Wikimedia Commons)
Richard Tice has taken Reform UK from just 3% in the opinion polls back in 2021, to their highest polling of 14% in the most recent YouGov survey. Although this puts the party genuinely in contention for seats at the upcoming general election, first past the post makes it notoriously difficult for smaller parties to break through at Westminster. Despite the recent success, Tice has other matters to negotiate: Reform has yet to land a significant blow against the major parties at by-election, the party is still dismissed in some quarters as being a single issue vehicle, and the spectre of Nigel Farage hovers eternally in the background.
I caught up with Tice in the wake of George Galloway’s Rochdale victory, and asked him about voting irregularities, the influence of Islamic extremism in Britain, and of course what role Nigel Farage might be playing come the general election.
Frank Haviland is the author of Banalysis: The Lie Destroying the West, and writes a Substack here.
This piece first appeared in The European Conservative, and is reproduced by kind permission.
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Unfortunately Tice has ‘a face for radio’, no new party will break through without an appealing cover boy or girl. This however doesn’t apply to LibLabCon who can be, and often are, led by those without kerb appeal but tribal Party loyalty behind them, mavericks like Farage and Galloway benefit from being well known for years and also the Marmite factor. Sorry, these comments are trite but sadly true in my opinion. Predictions of a hugely different GE outcome will only lead to disappointment, there will be no huge breakthroughs with the possible exception of Scotland reverting to Labour. I wish it was otherwise.
A very honest, incisive and well-conducted professional interview, with highly articulate and perceptive comments from both participants. Some very reasonable points made. Reform UK offers us a credible way out of the present crisis in our Country. It has huge potential – if only it can gain greater authority and political presence through improved public awareness and appeal, and via increased accountability and openness to members and supporters.
Agreed, but there simply isn’t time left to do this. The only chance, and it’s probably slimmer than most people think, is for Farage to take over the leadership and try to recoup his UKIP following.
Going by the comments in the Telegraph, a LOT of once-Conservative voters will be voting Reform. They’ve had it with the Tories after 14 years of the government doing the exact opposite of what their supporters want. I think we could be in for a surprise. Don’t take too much notice of the polls – I do surveys for pin money, and most of them are badly conceived or skewed to get a particular result.
A lot of people say things in the hope that their voices will be heard and still vote as they always have when it comes to the polling booth. A week is a long time in politics and if there isn’t a GE before November, or frankly even any month before this, the voting public hasn’t yet been overtly subjected to the hatchet job that will be delivered on both Tice, any defectors and Reform itself by LibLabCon and the rest of the establishment cabal.