March 7, 2025 - 10:00am
To anyone familiar with Nigel Farage’s history, his latest row with Rupert Lowe will seem awfully familiar. The Reform UK leader has repeatedly demonstrated a remarkable ability to call political parties into being; he has never yet been willing or able to let them outgrow him.
This pattern played out several times in the days of Ukip, when Farage stepped aside in favour of a female leader only to seize the reins again mere days later. It happened again at last year’s general election, when he ignored a deal between Reform and the Northern Irish Traditional Unionist Voice (TUV) to endorse his friend, Democratic Unionist Party (DUP) politician Ian Paisley Jr.
That one ended with Farage and Ben Habib, then co-deputy leader of Reform, backing different candidates in the same seat. The latter’s man won, and Jim Allister now sits with Reform in the House of Commons. But having crossed Farage, Habib’s time in the party was up.
Now the party finds itself mired in a very public dispute after Lowe described his leader as “messianic” in an interview with the Daily Mail this week, adding that “it’s too early to know whether Nigel will deliver the goods.” Farage responded yesterday by saying that his MP was “utterly, completely wrong”, musing: “Perhaps he wants to be prime minister.” As an elected MP, Lowe would be harder to shift than Habib. But he could still lose the whip — or even, as he hinted to the Mail, leave of his own accord.
How big a problem is this for Reform? That depends on two things. The first is the extent to which the mere fact of a public row undermines the party’s image; the second is whether or not Lowe is right about Reform’s sluggish attempts to develop a proper policy infrastructure, and if that matters.
On the first count, a single quarrel is unlikely to make much of a difference this far out from a general election. But chronic infighting probably would. In this parliament, Reform has a huge opportunity to win attention and set the agenda far beyond what might normally be expected of a five-MP party; it would be an act of historic self-harm to make internal rows the main story.
Policy is another matter. In the short term, no minor party needs a detailed programme several years away from a general election. But if Reform is to have any hope of delivering in office, or even being taken seriously as a potential coalition partner, it will need a programme by 2029. The hard work of building that up needs to start now.
If nothing else, this would force Reform — run by angry Thatcherites but aiming almost exclusively at Labour-held seats in 2029 — to confront the thorny question of what sort of party it actually is. Which would probably be a good thing to work out before it selects candidates for an election in which it could achieve a real breakthrough.
This process would also allow Reform to grapple, albeit more covertly, with the Farage question. He created the party, and at present it more or less subsists entirely on his star power. But Farage is 60; even if he is likely to lead Reform into the next election, the odds of him leading it into the one after that are surely very long indeed. Then again, Lowe, who is 67, may not be the future of the party either.
To have any hope of seriously challenging the Tories in the medium term, let alone replacing them outright, Reform needs to grow bigger than its leader. A thousand tall poppies need to bloom, but they can only do that if Farage learns to let them.
If he doesn’t, the long-term damage will be great. Only in January, 10 councillors quit the party over his “autocratic manner”. Unlike its surging membership, these are the people who would form the backbone of a serious ground campaign, which Reform will need if it is ever to survive without its leader’s star power. That is, if Farage is willing to let it happen.
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SubscribeReform might as well be called ‘Farage Party No.4’. They have no identity, no reason to exist, without Farage, and their sole purpose is to put him in power.
Almost correct. He doesn’t want power. Wants to get close and make alot more money that way without ever getting proper found out.
As opposed to having his suits and glasses bought for him presumably
Nige’s had much more than that my friend.
Please elucidate
If you have factual information then surely it’s your duty to bring it to public knowledge.
Just read the MPs declarations of interest. He’s also hardly there.
It’s all about personal enrichment and ego. Not the slightest desire in truth to ever really have to graft in Govt.
There’s nothing inherently wrong with being a campaigning backbench or opposition MP. Jeremy Corbyn has arguably done some good work in those roles in the past. As have many other MPs. But they aren’t always cut out for government. Nor could a parliament consist only of super amibitious MPs who want to be in government.
Aside from that. how would you rate Farage against – let’s say – Tony Blair for ego and personal enrichment ?
Farage is there because voters chose him. If they don’t like it, they can choose someone else.
Reform’s selling point is that it isn’t part of the Uniparty which has served the country so badly.
Farage’s selling point is that he delivered firstly the Referendum and secondly won it to produce a Brexit. These are formidable achievements, especially for someone derided by the Westminster bubble.
All other considerations are minor in comparison. And the Westminster bubble wrapping itself in the “defence Union Jack” won’t cut it…nobody believes them anymore.
The more Nige celebrates he delivered Brexit the better. Majority now quietly realised they were had so let him own it.
Yes being on the hook for EU defence spending would be so much better…
Hmmm, yet Sir ‘Lets rerun the referendum’ Starmer has ruled out such an idea now that he is in a position to know the economic facts. He recognises what so many politicians have in past decades: that joining the EU is much better done covertly. Why? So the plebeians don’t have a say. Viva democracy!
There’s no re-run coming. Just the majority realisation was a sh*tshow of lies and manipulation. Our relationship with Europe will be different but closer than Farage et al would like. Brits will be ok with that.
Brexiteers had a chance and blew it because all they can ever do is amplify rage.
Utter bilge Watson. The removal of the UK from the EU is something that will be celebrated over decades, not the short-termism you and other lefties are prone to.
The outcome of the referendum was acheived following sober assessment of how our islands need to proceed over the longer term, and subsequent events are demonstrating that to be a very wise outcome.
Like the Dems in the US, it’s you that’s on the wrong side of history, despite the blather based on an insecure grasp of reality.
Obviously we aren’t going to agree on much here, but currently you know, we all know, given the chance to re-run it Brexit would lose. (That chance though gone for ever so you can relax a little). It’s not delivered anything tangible to the British people. They were never driven in sufficient number by the vagueness of the sovereignty argument. It was immigration and that went up. And the Sovereignty types seem to cozy up to a Trumpist US v quickly thus undermining their argument anyway.
And as Farage himself said ‘it’s been a total disaster’. Public thinks that too now.
The civil service and legal system are remianers and effectively blocked exit, The Tories were too lazy, stupid and cowardly to stop them . T May was very effective in thwarting effective Brexit.
Pathetic blame-shift. You forget also we left. Boris got it done didn’t he? Then what? Abject failure.
Blaming someone else v woke.
How can the Brexiteers have blown it? There has not been one in power since the vote.
Define a Brexiteer UR? With a few actual policies that are coherent. Not a wish list please.
And therein lay the problem.
The EU was a method of France controlling Germany. Europe is France and Germany, the rest are the trimmings- de Gaulle.
Unfortunately, the Mar-a-Lager episode cannot be un-seen now.
Toast.
What I’m not sure is how well Rupert Lowe is known outside Twitter/X. He does make a lot of good tweets and goes further than Farage often will. But I’ve no idea how well he’s known outside X. Whereas Farage has a huge media profile.
Similarly. Rupert Lowe sounds fantastic and has the views needed to save Britain but can/should he try to leave/replace Nigel Farage?
Ha, what a laugh. Within couple of hours of yours and RN comments Farage will be accused of enacting a dirty tricks number against Lowe. He’ll claim coincidental. It’s a comedy. What a pair. I mean them not you guys. Priceless
He is quite often on GBNews and makes a lot of sense. He would make a good leader if Nigel bows out, but that maybe Nigel’s problem?
The fact recent turn of events passed you by entirely also quite funny, if unsurprising UR.
Nigel Farage is the most outstanding British politician since Mrs Thatcher. Assuming Reform offers a PR referendum in its next election manifesto, he is going to be the next Prime Minister at the head of a Reform UK government. Nobody else (as party leader) has a snowflake’s chance in hell of delivering a Reform UK government. Je reste ma valise.
Mike Buchanan
JUSTICE FOR MEN & BOYS https://j4mb.org.uk
CAMPAIGN FOR MERIT IN BUSINESS https://c4mb.uk
LAUGHING AT FEMINISTS https://laughingatfeminists.com
Mike. You didn’t need to add your name. It’s at the top automatically. Nice touch though and reassuring we’ve nothing to worry about
Thanks, good point!
Fab. Joke never really funny until someone takes it literally.
Nigel Farage IS the messiah. Only the true messiah denies his divinity.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4HB7zqP9QNo
Here and on other sites, lots of people – Reform voters – are showing their support for Farage, saying what a good guy he is and how we would never have left the EU except for him. There’s also a sense bordering on outrage that Lowe would express dissatisfaction with him. I don’t think Lowe or anyone else lacks admiration for Farage; he is without doubt one of the most influential UK politicians of this century. But the point being made by Lowe and by Henry Hill above I think, is that no matter how grateful we are to him, if Reform is going to increase its vote at the next general election and have any chance of forming a government or being part of a coalition, it has to have more depth than just Farage. It needs policies and it needs outstanding people, who must be recruited and nurtured. The problem is, as Hill points out, that doesn’t seem to be something Farage is either very good at or terribly keen on. If this situation plays out the same way as in the past, then the country is in even deeper trouble that at present.
I’d question it’s ever about actually being in a position where you’d have to take responsibility for delivery for Farage? Isn’t it more the cult of personality and the ability to monetise that? Been made v rich hasn’t he without having to actually take much responsibility. Amplifying rage pays.
Good grief he’d last 5mins actually having to do the real relentless job of PM. Much too hard and much less pay.
When has he ever been in a position of responsibility?
This is his first stint as an MP, and while he was a leading figure in the Brexit campaign he had no say whatsoever on its implementation.
I have my doubts as to whether Farage can move Reform from a protest party to an established one, but ultimately as a fringe party your only job is to get noticed, something Farage has done incredibly well twice
Interesting, I would have guessed that Reform-minded Brits would be saying Nigel out. As scales continue to fall from American eyes, it seems obvious that Farage is a pretender and that Lowe, Habib and others are the legitimate voices for conservatism in the UK.
Their biggest problem is that the bulk of them are largely economically Thatcherite in their outlook, something that isn’t going to win many seats in Westminster.
Whilst they don’t need concrete policies yet, they do soon need to be seen to have at least a direction of travel snd outline what type of party they want to be
The Reform applauders no more ‘get’ the innate contradictions in their ideology than the Tories did the last 15 years. Stuck unable to move beyond rage amplification.
What every government since 1945 has ignored is that world trade is competitive and unless one innovates technically one is left behind. Those who set the pace of technical innovation maximise profits. The Chinese largely copy the West .Amazon, Alphabet, Apple, AT and T, Meta, Dell, Intel, HP, NVIDIA, IBM are the powerhouse of the USA.
List of largest technology companies by revenue – Wikipedia
Switzerland is small but has a very high GDP per capita.
List of countries by GDP (nominal) per capita – Wikipedia
To innovate one needs technically skilled people not un and semi skilled, property rights, low taxes and freedom of thought, speech and association.
The challenge for all parties is how to increase GDP per Capita. In Britain low skills and hence low productivity, over manning by the State, high energy costs ,high levels of crime and massive welfare bill is creating massive debt and and economic, military and political decline.
Go read up on how difficult it’s become to access investment capital in UK for many of our great start ups. Then read up on how our pension industry works and why it fails to invest in UK companies. Then read some of the Michael Tory stuff on what we need to do about it.
Now it’s complex but more a reason Brexit failed than anything Brexiteers bang on about.
Sadly can’t disagree.
The utter inevitability. Reform starts to implode in internal squabbles and the reality it can’t square a Policy platform oh so predictable. You’ve got to be blind, deaf and stupid to not see this sort of thing coming.
And to add to the joy, it’s a couple of Private school, v rich Financiers squabbling. What a trooper of an image.
Toast. Just don’t know it yet.
What on earth has being public school educated have to do with anything
V tricky to present oneself as ‘man of the people’ for long IW if you had a silver spoon stuffed in your gob from early age. Especially when you start cutting things they rely on
For all those who’e supported Reform UK since the run-up to the 2024 general election, this in-house fight is drearily familiar (Ukip, Brexit Party) and both demoralising and disillusioning. Until Lowe threw a bomb into the Reform UK top echelon, it appeared to be the only potentially viable alternative to the equally revolting Labour and Conservative parties. Now its impressive development since that general election has been halted in its tracks and may even herald its ultimate disintegration. Farage better get things sorted very swiftly otherwise the substantial support he and his party have received from hopeful voters will wither before his/our eyes.
Buck up!
The release of Stephen Yaxley-Lennon will bring everything to a head in Reform UK. Its leading figures want nothing to do with him, whereas its core and target voters would walk over hot coals for him.
The author is probably relieved, anticipating a bounce for the Tories on the back of the unseemly civil war that has broken out in Reform. This former Tory can only speak for himself, but there is zero chance that I will ever vote Tory again. If the Tories now find that my sentiment is widely repeated and there is no Tory bounce, then I think, that’s it for the Tories after two hundred years – thank you and good night. On second thoughts, I retract the ‘thank you’, just ‘good night’ will suffice. I will say one more thing. The flip to Reform currently underway, is not about Reform per se, but nor is it a ‘protest vote’. It’s about bringing the current utterly rotten settlement to an end, by whatever means are available. If Reform remain the vehicle, however flawed it’s leadership, that’s fine by me. I suspect the author will find cold comfort out of the Reform civil war, we shall see.