Reform Party is a ‘bigger risk to Tories than Labour’

REFORM presents a bigger risk to the Conservatives and the country than Labour, Lee Anderson has claimed.

Mr Anderson, the deputy Tory chairman, told Reform and its leader Richard Tice to be “careful what you wish for” as he suggested its growing popularity could enable Sir Keir Starmer to enter Downing Street by default.

The insurgent party, which is to the Right of the Government on immigration and net zero, is polling at about 10 per cent, prompting warnings that it could hamper the Tories’ performance at the general election this year.

Mr Tice will hold a press conference today amid speculation that Nigel Farage, a co-founder of Reform and its honorary life president, may return to a more active role in the party.

Mr Anderson told GB News: “He’s a great figurehead, Nigel [Farage], he’s been a great politician, he’s done fantastic things. But Reform is a threat – they are a bigger threat to the country at the moment, I think, than the Labour Party.

“Because if Reform does pick off a lot of us Conservative MPS at the next election, then what’s going to happen is we’re going to end up with a Labour government. He runs the risk of losing a lot of Tory seats, seats like mine, to put some Labour remainers back in power.” The MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire also suggested that, unlike his constituents, the party’s most prominent figures were too “wealthy” to feel economic pain under a Labour government.

He said: “Nigel and Ben [Habib, Reform’s deputy leader] and Richard, they’re all wealthy men, self-made men, good luck to them.

“But you know what, if Starmer gets the keys to No10, they can go back to their nice big plush houses, penthouses, country retreats, whatever, shut the curtains and get on with their life – they’ll be OK. The people I worry about [are] the people in Ashfield.”

In a direct plea to Mr Tice, Mr Anderson added: “Richard, I think you’re a great man, I think your heart’s in the right place for the country but just be careful what you wish for ... I agree with pretty much 80 per cent of what you say. Do you really want to get rid of MPS like me?”

He also claimed Mr Farage would have to replace Mr Tice as the leader of Reform in order for it to achieve any meaningful electoral success.

A Reform spokesman said: “Surely if Lee was honest with himself and the good people of Ashfield, he would have already done the honourable thing, resigned from the Conservative Party and joined us. But that is not his way.”