Why influx of former Tories into Reform UK may cause trouble for Nigel Farage
The public could start to view Reform UK as the Conservative party in all but name if too many Tories defect
The defection of former Conservative minister Nadhim Zahawi to Reform adds a reasonably serious political heavyweight to the growing ranks marching behind Nigel Farage’s banner.
As Chancellor, Zahawi held one of the great offices of state even if it was only for a few weeks, after he was drafted in to replace Rishi Sunak during the Cabinet resignation crisis that ended the political career of Boris Johnson.
Zahawi had been mounting a robust defence of the then Prime Minister, but a few days after his appointment he too called for Johnson to go, and later supported Liz Truss in the Conservative leadership election.
Big egos, big arguments
Nonetheless, his presence helps Reform seem more than just a one-man band as does that of former Conservative minister Malcolm Offord, expected to be named as Scottish party leader this week.
The 20 or so former Tory politicians who have joined Reform so far add a degree of much-needed heft and could potentially persuade others to jump ship.
However, there are also dangers for Reform. Farage may struggle to get used to party colleagues with big egos and strong views. Much like the hard-left, the hard-right have a tendency to fall out with each other as public rows at Reform’s ‘flagship’ council administration, Kent, have been demonstrating.
Too many Tories?
Another problem could be that if too many Tories join Reform, the public may start to see them as the party they rejected so comprehensively at the 2024 election, dressed in slightly different political colours and with a different face at the top.
Given the Tories on the Liz Truss wing are the most likely to make the switch, the Conservatives could finally be gifted the excuse they need to disassociate themselves entirely from her half-baked economic schemes, and an effective line of attack against Reform.
Dogs in the street knew Reform’s manifesto promise to cut taxes by £90 billion was shameless ‘Trussonomics’, but the party only recently admitted it was not feasible.
If the Conservatives can restore their shattered reputation for economic seriousness and raise the spectre of a Truss-like ‘Reform effect’ on voters’ mortgage payments, they may yet make inroads into Farage’s current lead in the polls.
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