Tag Archives: reform uk

Police Urge People Not To Speculate On ‘Motive’ Of Ann Widdecombe’s Alleged Murder

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Police have urged the public not to speculative on the “motive” behind Ann Widdecombe’s alleged murder.

The former Conservative minister, and later Reform UK spokeswoman, was found dead at her home in Haytor on Dartmoor at about 11.40am on Thursday after sustaining serious injuries.

A 28-year-old white British man was arrested on suspicion of murder in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, shortly after 9pm on Saturday.

At a police briefing on Sunday, assistant chief constable Matt Longman, of Devon and Cornwall Police, said: “At this point, there is still no information to suggest that this is a terrorism-related incident and at this point we are not looking for anyone else in connection with this murder.

“At this stage, there is nothing to suggest that it was politically-motivated.”

He said detectives “remain open-minded about the potential motive” and stressed it is not believed there is any threat to the wider public.

The officer added: “We are aware of online and public speculation, particularly with regards to motive.

“Again, I urge people not to share or engage with that speculation – it’s unhelpful, it doesn’t aid our investigation, and particularly, it’s distressing to the family and friends of Miss Widdecombe.”

Speaking as he laid a wreath outside Widdecombe’s home on Saturday, Reform leader Nigel Farage said: “From what I make out, this was premeditated murder.

“Whether it was politically motivated, whether it was someone with a grudge. I don’t think it pays at this time to speculate.”

It has also emerged that Reform MPs are being given round the clock security protection following Widdecombe’s death.

Meanwhile, Reform’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, accused parliamentary authorities of not caring about the safety of the party’s MPs.

In a post on X, he said: “The state is providing no protection whatsoever.

“In fact, based on what I have seen in the last 48 hours, none of the government, the Speaker nor the police care at all about the security of Reform MPs.

“Several of our MPs have written to the above in recent months about distressing, escalating security concerns, asking for help. Their correspondence was not even replied to. I will let you draw your own conclusions from this.”

But independent MP Rosie Duffield replied: “Every single sitting MP is entitled to security provided by the House of Commons. This also covers our outside engagements.”

The Commons Speaker’s office has been approached for comment.

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Lammy Effortlessly Demolishes Farage’s Claim To Be Anti-Establishment With Brutal Putdown

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David Lammy tore into Nigel Farage during deputy prime minister’s questions on Wednesday over the Reform UK leader’s decision to trigger a by-election.

The Clacton MP dramatically declared that he was resigning, only to run again in a “people versus establishment” contest in his constituency yesterday.

The announcement came as Farage faces a growing list of questions about his finances.

He is currently under investigation by the parliamentary standards commissioner for failing to declare a £5 million “gift” he received from a crypto-billionaire shortly before he ran for parliament in 2024.

Farage could face further probes for not declaring his entire property portfolio to parliament or for the support he quietly took from “posh” George Cottrell.

It recently emerged the convicted criminal offered Farage funding for staff, security and the use of his London townhouse before he became an MP.

Farage has denied any wrongdoing and claims to be the victim of an “establishment stitch-up”.

But, in the Commons on Wednesday, Lammy – who was representing the government while Keir Starmer is away at the Nato summit in Turkey – questioned Farage’s claim of being a man of the people.

Lib Dem deputy leader Daisy Cooper kicked off the conversation by asking Lammy if Farage’s resignation should be delayed until after the probe into his undeclared gifts.

She joked: “The honorable member for Clacton used to say leave means leave, but it seems his latest stunt is to leave this place so he can return as a fully-fledged member, after not just one referendum on his behaviour, Mr Speaker, but possibly two.”

The deputy PM replied: “Everyone can see that the Reform leader is just trying to distract from the fact that he is up to his neck in sleaze.

“He’s got serious questions to answer and he can’t run away from them.

“Labour isn’t going to be part of this circus.

“I hear it’s the people versus the establishment – the city trader, Putin-admiring, professional politician who is pals with crypto billionaires versus Count Binface.”

All other political parties have decided not to run a candidate against Farage in Clacton, leaving only comedy candidate Count Binface to compete against the Reform leader.

That triggered yet more laughter in the Commons, to which Lammy said: “There have been unqualified joke candidates in the past. Let’s see what the people of Clacton decide.”

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Nigel Farage Quits As MP To Trigger By-Election Amid Row Over His Finances

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Nigel Farage has dramatically quit as an MP to trigger a by-election in his Clacton seat.

The Reform UK leader made the shock announcement amid the mounting furore over his personal finances.

He said it would be a “people versus the establishment” contest as he accused the media and his political opponents of waging a vendetta against him.

In a statement broadcast on social media, Farage said: “I will fight to win. I will fight to continue the political revolution that Reform has started, and I would say this to you, the voters of Clacton, if I win, you win, because if I lose, they win, and we will never with the two old parties get the type of fundamental change that we need to fix broken Britain.”

Farage has been under pressure since it emerged in April that he had received a £5 million gift from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before he became an MP.

Daniel Greenberg, the parliamentary commissioner for standards, is carrying out a probe into whether Farage should have declared it – and could recommend he be suspended from the Commons.

By taking matters into his own hands, the Reform boss may be trying to get ahead of the investigation by attempting to secure a fresh mandate from voters in Clacton, who elected him with a majority of 8,400 at the last general election.

Greenberg has also been urged to investigate the financial support Farage accepted from convicted criminal George Cottrell before be entered parliament.

According to the Sunday Times, Cottrell – known as “posh George” – provided funding for Farage’s staffing and security, as well as the use of a London townhouse, before he became an MP.

Under parliamentary rules, new MPs need to register any gifts worth more than £300 they received in the previous 12 months, except where the gift “could not be reasonably thought by others” to relate to their political activities.

Farage has denied any wrongdoing and claimed he is the victim of “an establishment hit job”.

Allies of the Reform leader have described him as “tired” and “stressed” as the pressure mounts, and suggested he needs a break from politics.

His dramatic announcement came a day after he clashed with a Sky News reporter at Heathrow Airport as he returned from America.

Asked if it was a mistake not to declare the financial support he received from George Cottrell, Farage replied: “You tell your bosses, you harass my family any more there will be serious consequences. That’s what your organisation has done this morning. Go away.”

Sky has denied approaching anyone in Farage’s family about the story, which the Reform leader dismissed as “an outright lie”.

In his statement, he said: “The issue with my daughter was the final straw. Enough is enough. And I thought over the weekend, what shall I do?

“I could go out and try and make some real big money. I could go to the USA, where I’ve got plenty of offers. And then I thought, why should I be judged today, or in history in the future, by Sky News and their ilk?

“Why should they be the people that decide my fate? When, as I repeat, I have done nothing wrong.

“I thought about it hard and I have decided today I will resign as a member of parliament for Clacton-on-Sea, thereby forcing a by-election, which should happen, I hope, in short order.

“Now I’ve decided that the people of Clacton should be the judges of my actions. This will be a people versus the establishment by-election. It’s a chance to stick two fingers up to the entire establishment to frankly tell them where to go, and that is why I will be putting my name forward to stand in this by-election.”

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Dissatisfaction In Nigel Farage As Reform Leader Rises Amid Fresh Scrutiny, Poll Shows

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Dissatisfaction in Nigel Farage has increased over the last year amid growing scrutiny over his finances, according to a new poll.

Ipsos found almost two-thirds (63%) of Brits said they are “dissatisfied” with the Reform UK leader in June 2026 compared to 49% in June 2025.

That number far exceeds the number who are still satisfied in Farage – just 26% said they were happy with the Clacton MP this year, compared to 26% in 2025.

The findings come as the Clacton MP is under investigation for not declaring a £5 million donation from a crypto-billionaire shortly before he was sworn into parliament.

He insists he has not broken any parliamentary rules as the lump sum was not used for political purposes.

The Sunday Times has also revealed that Farage did not declare the support he received from convicted criminal George Cottrell prior to his election.

A Reform spokesperson replied: “Contrary to the story’s tone, no parliamentary rules have been broken.”

The party’s Treasury spokesperson Robert Jenrick also insisted on Sky News on Sunday that heightened scrutiny on Farage’s finances has not had an impact on their popularity.

Indeed, pollsters at Ipsos found 26% of Brits would vote for Reform if a general election were held tomorrow.

That means Farage’s party has held onto its comfortable lead in the opinion polls even during the heightened scrutiny.

However, Labour appears to have closed much of the gap behind Reform, and is just two points behind on 24%.

The party’s improvement in the polls comes amid speculation that Andy Burnham is going to take over from Keir Starmer.

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‘I’m Not Lying’: Fiona Bruce Clashes With Zia Yusuf In BBC Question Time Bias Row

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BBC Question Time presenter Fiona Bruce clashed with Zia Yusuf after he suggested the show’s audience was not balanced.

Reform UK’s home affairs spokesman complained after only eight people put their hands up when he asked who supported the party.

But Bruce hit back by insisting the BBC was “scrupulous” in ensuring the make-up of the audience represented wider public opinion.

After one audience member said Nigel Farage should never be prime minister, Yusuf said to Bruce: “You did ask earlier who supports Reform, and I make out four people in the audience put their hands up, which is interesting given Reform is at 28% in the polls.

“It’s a genuine question, can we get a show of hands from people who actually support Reform?”

When several people put their hands up, Bruce told him: “I think you’ll see that’s a bit more than four.”

Yusuf said: “I make that eight. It’s certainly nowhere close to representative I’m afraid, Fiona.”

But Bruce told him: “Can I just point out there are more people than that in the audience, they’re just not putting their hands up.”

Yusuf said: “We’ll all have to take the BBC’s word for that.”

In response, Bruce said the corporation was “scrupulous” in ensuring the Question Time audience is balanced.

“I’m certainly not lying about it, I can tell you that,” she said.

When Yusuf then asked “where’s the evidence”, the presenter replied: “As you know, we interview everybody over the phone, we check their social media.

“But what also happens is not everyone wants to put their hand up and show their political allegiance on national television, and there is nothing I can do about that, I’m afraid.”

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Reform’s Plans For Women And Motherhood Act Under Fire For ‘Bringing In Handmaid’s Tale’

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Reform UK’s plans for a Women and Motherhood Protection Act have been compared to the dystopian Handmaid’s Tale in a scathing takedown.

Nigel Farage’s party has promised to “strengthen women’s rights, protect motherhood and restore equality before the law” in a new policy document.

It claims the Equality Act does not go far enough and that sex based rights have been eroded.

The party vows “Reform UK will be the most pro-woman and pro-mother government in modern British history”.

It pledges to protect existing maternity rights and extend the time limit for pregnancy and maternity claims of unfair dismissal to 12 months.

“This Act will make Britain one of the best countries in the world to become a mother,” Reform alleges.

But the pledges fell flat with Labour MP Stella Creasy, who has long campaigned against the “motherhood penalty” in the UK.

She told HuffPost UK: “Reform reveal they think only women have responsibility for bringing up children.

“This is a charter for bringing in the Handmaid’s Tale, not equality in the home or the workplace – reinforcing the motherhood penalty and not ending it.”

The Handmaid’s Tale is a dystopian novel and drama series about forcing fertile women to bear children in a totalitarian society.

Creasy continued: “That’s why we need to align with Europe in giving all parents rights to paid parental leave so that no parent is left holding the baby.

“If Reform are serious about helping end discrimination, they should back my amendment to do that instead of failing to even mention the responsibilities of dads and second parents.”

Bridget Phillipson, minister for women and equalities, also criticised the policy suggestion.

She said: “Nigel Farage has spent years arguing women don’t need the protections and rights we fought for.

“From their leader praising Andrew Tate, to running a self-professed sexist as a candidate, Reform prove time and again they have a problem with women.”

Reform’s candidate for the upcoming Makerfield by-election, Robert Kenyon, made sexist remarks in unearthed social media comments and even admitted: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”

Phillipson continued: “Tearing up the Equality Act on day one just to replace it with something weaker is a complete waste of time and money.

“It was a Labour government that put women’s rights into law, and a Labour government now that is safeguarding and strengthening them.”

The Conservatives’ shadow equalities minister, Claire Coutinho, tore into the policy plan, too.

She said: “Reform care so little about women’s rights they said they’d scrap the Equality Act without even realising that it protects pregnant women from being sacked.

“Their prisons adviser believes men should be put in women’s prisons. And today’s plans would leave women who say biological sex is real completely exposed to being harassed and hounded out of their jobs.

“Kemi Badenoch is the only political leader who has consistently stood up for women’s rights and under her leadership the Conservatives will fight for their protections at every opportunity.”

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Reform Accused Of ‘Dragging Politics Into Gutter’ After Councillor Posts Fake Makerfield Poll

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Reform UK have been accused of “dragging politics into the gutter” after one of the party’s councillors posted a fake opinion poll about the Makerfield by-election.

Sarah Mason claimed Reform and Labour are neck-and-neck on 44% each just over a week out from polling day on June 18.

The councillor's now-deleted tweet.
The councillor’s now-deleted tweet.

She later posted on X: “I thought I’d join in with the made-up polls.”

Mason admitted she had made up the poll.
Mason admitted she had made up the poll.

Mason, who is a councillor in Scarborough, has now deleted her original post after an online backlash.

According to the most recent poll in the seat, Labour’s Andy Burnham is 10 points ahead of Reform’s Robert Kenyon.

Reform’s campaign has been dogged by revelations about Kenyon’s social media history.

It emerged he had shared a series of sexist, anti-vaccine, anti-abortion and pro-Russia comments online over the years – including lewd remarks about presenter Carol Vorderman and confusing statements about whether he even voted for Brexit himself.

A Labour spokesperson said: “Reform are dragging politics into the gutter.

“They’re stooping to new lows online because they know Robert Kenyon isn’t fit to be an MP – yet they won’t admit it.

“Instead of spreading misinformation online they should be forcing their candidate to apologise to the public for the vile comments he’s made about women and disgusting false narratives he’s peddled over the Manchester Arena bombing.

“While Reform continues to be mired in scandal and they reach for desperate underhand tactics, Labour’s Andy Burnham is determined to deliver the investment and fairer future all communities across Makerfield deserve.”

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Reform’s Nadhim Zahawi Slammed Over ‘Disgraceful’ Defence Of Kemi Badenoch Attack Ad

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Nadhim Zahawi has been condemned over his “disgraceful” attempts to defend a Reform UK ad attacking Kemi Badenoch which has been widely criticised as misleading.

The former Tory, who defected to Nigel Farage’s party earlier this year, insisted there was nothing wrong with the controversial social media post, which was produced following the jailing of Henry Nowak’s killed.

The 18-year-old was handcuffed and arrested by police as he lay dying after being wrongly accused of racism by his killer, Vickram Digwa.

Digwa, a British-born Sikh, was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court last Monday.

Farage has said the case is an example of “two-tier policing” and anti-white discrimination.

The Reform ad showed a quote from 2020 in which Badenoch said “black lives do matter”, alongside a partial quote she gave this week in which she said “I don’t care about white lives matter”.

However, her full quote, which she gave in an interview on ITV’s Good Morning Britain, was: “I don’t want to hear about Black Lives Matter. I don’t want to hear about White Lives Matter. Everyone matters.”

On Sky News on Sunday morning, presenter Trevor Phillips asked Zahawi if someone at Reform “is getting sacked” for the ad.

He replied: “In 2020, she said black lives do matter. In 2026, she says I don’t care about black lives matter or white lives matter. Why? Because she finds it hard to talk about a white boy who bled out on the street.”

But Phillips told him that was “clearly a misrepresentation of what she said”.

“Are you telling me that this is ok,” he asked in reference to the advert.

Zahawi said: “It’s her words, that’s what she said. Why is it so different when it’s a white boy, that we’re all so frightened of upsetting anyone?”

The presenter hit back: “This is not you at all. You’re doing what all the others do. You are inventing your own question and answering it.

“You’re not answering the question I asked you, which is ’is this a fair representation of what Kemi Badenoch said ir not?”

Zahawi said: “I would have more respect for Kemi Badenoch if she said ’by the way, in 2020 I was wrong.”

Social media users slammed the former Tory chancellor.

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Trump Official Wades Into Reform’s Irate Sky News Interview Over ‘White Lives Matter’

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A member of Donald Trump’s administration has weighed in on Zia Yusuf’s tense Sky News interview over the Henry Nowak murder.

The 18-year-old student was stabbed repeatedly by Vickrum Digwa last December, who then told police attending the incident that he had been the victim of racism.

As Henry lay dying on the ground, and despite telling the officers that he could not breathe and had been stabbed, he was handcuffed and arrested.

Digwa was jailed for life with a minimum term of 21 years at Southampton Crown Court on Monday.

Reform leader Nigel Farage controversially claimed the case was proof of “two-tier policing” in the UK, insisted: “White lives matter, too”, and called for “pure cold rage” from the public in response.

Sky’s Cathy Newman asked Yusuf, who is Reform’s home affairs spokesperson, if he thought that was incitement from Farage.

But he bizarrely deflected by asking what her emotional response to the bodycam footage from officers attending the scene of Nowak’s death.

She said it was “heartbreaking” – but pointed out that his family have asked for Henry’s death not to be used for more division.

When Yusuf asked again for the presenter’s response, she had to remind him: “I’m interviewing you!”

The two then clashed over Reform’s repeated use of “white lives matter” as the senior politician continued to side-step direct questions about racism against Black and ethnic minorities from police.

Yusuf eventually said it was “unacceptable for anyone to be discriminated against” – but went on to attack Newman for the “premise” of her questions.

He also admitted that he has not spoken directly to Henry Nowak’s family, despite their requests for no political point scoring.

Sarah B Rogers, the US under-secretary of state for public diplomacy, responded to a clip of their tense exchange on X – and took Yusuf’s side.

Ignoring Farage’s call for “pure cold rage”, Rogers wrote: “I will answer Cathy’s question: stating effectively ‘this video should outrage you’ is nowhere near incitement under any lucid standard.

“Moreover, it is true.”

This is not the first time Rogers has weighed into UK rows, accusing the UK of parroting Russia for considering a ban on X, and mocking prime minister Keir Starmer and his then-chief of staff over Christmas.

Newman later responded to the interview on X, writing: “Well that was fiery. Shame you couldn’t be on the sofa [Zia] but glad we got to chat (though I think you might have asked as many questions as I did!)”

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Exclusive: Reform’s Makerfield Candidate Praises Last Labour Government In Unearthed Comments

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Reform UK’s Makerfield candidate previously praised the last Labour government in unearthed comments seen by HuffPost UK.

Robert Kenyon is standing against Labour candidate and Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham in the crunch Makerfield by-election.

Kenyon was once pretty positive about Labour’s changes in office – which former minister Burnham had been a part of.

He claimed “god knows where I would have ended up” without the government’s apprenticeship initiatives.

In posts dating back to 2013 on a since-deleted forum for rugby fans, he wrote: “If it weren’t for the last Labour Government god knows where I would have ended up, without their Asset Training Scheme I wouldn’t have been able to complete my apprenticeship which was funded by the Government at the cost of £50 a week payed [sic] to me which they invested well and now I don’t need to rely on them.

“Like I said, the benefits system needs overhauling massively to rid the idle from the taxpayers hard earned but first the opportunity to get into work and training must be implemented but somehow I can’t see the Tories doing that.”

A Reform UK spokesperson told HuffPost UK: “Rob represents the tens of thousands of formerly loyal Labour voters in Makerfield that the party has since abandoned. Labour has completely betrayed its traditional working-class northern base who are now backing Reform UK in their droves.”

A Labour Party spokesperson said: “It’s good to hear that Robert Kenyon is proud of the work of the last Labour government. So are we.

“From lifting hundreds of thousands of kids out of poverty, to introducing the minimum wage, Labour is building on that proud legacy today.

“While Reform focus on spreading toxic division and Robert Kenyon is mired in scandal, Labour’s Andy Burnham is focused on delivering on local people’s priorities and bringing communities together.”

Kenyon has attracted plenty of scrutiny after his internet presence has been unearthed in the days since he was announced as Reform’s Makerfield candidate.

He said women can’t “ref, drive or give directions” on an online rugby fan forum in the 2010s, and claimed women presenting rugby games on TV “aren’t up to the job and only there to tick a box”, adding: “I’m sexist, sorry but I am.”

He also claimed women get abortions for “vanity purposes” so they can “shag anyone they want” and described gay people as “poofs” who “mince about” on TV.

The Wigan councillor also once cast doubt on the Covid vaccine on his now-deleted X account, saying: “It’s not making people sicker, I’ve no booster and had covid last week asymptomatic.”

He suggested he did not vote for Brexit too, writing on social media in 2019: “So anyone who thinks I love Trump, voted Brexit, read the Daily Mail, live in the 1950s, a Tory and 103 is wrong. I’m none of the above.”

In another forum post from 2014, he said: “Russia are well within their rights to do what they have done as we did with the Falklands.”

Anti-fascist group Hope Not Hate also revealed that in 2021 Kenyon interacted with a social media message sent to the Countdown host, which read: “Happy birthday Carol, my God I would love to smell and lick your arsehole.”

Kenyon replied, “he’s only saying what we’re all thinking,” along with a thumbs up and a laughing emoji.

In response to the backlash about Vorderman, Kenyon told Manchester Evening News: “I’m not a polished politician.

“I am rough around the edges. I have made mistakes in my life. I’m not perfect. Nobody is. Not a single person in the world is perfect.

“I think everybody does say things that eventually they regret.”

Touching on the Vorderman backlash, Kenyon said: “It was a crude attempt at a joke to probably about 50 followers.

“No offence was meant, and it’s not something I’d do now.”

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