Today is International Joke Day, and as nothing in British politics is as laughable as the inconsistencies and hypocrisies of Reform UK, we felt it was the perfect time to shine a light on what has been happening recently...
In or out?
Like a classic storyline from Eastenders or a particularly disappointing Pantomime, the now former Chair of Reform UK Zia Yusuf, had the nation on its toes in early June by shockingly resigning from his post.
Yusuf, a former Goldman Sachs executive director, had given £200,000 to Reform UK during last year's general election. However, the businessman turned campaigner’s sensational exit was brought on by a disagreement on policy with new MP, Sarah Pochin, after the latter called for the burqa to be banned.
Within two days, Yusuf had returned to the fray in a new role heading up Reform’s Trumpian DOGE outfit. In his place? David Bull, a former ghost hunter and avid believer in the supernatural…
Sitting with his trotters up
The now infamous interview clip of Danny Dyer accusing David Cameron of sitting “in Europe, in Nice, with his trotters up” after the Brexit referendum has become TV gold. Nine years later - and on his ninth foreign trip since becoming a Parliamentarian - Nigel Farage repeated the trick. Holidaying in France, Farage missed the parliamentary debate on the UK-EU Reset, the most important since Britain left the EU. For the man who became the symbol of Brexit, what a shock to see him not there?! Maybe he has realised he doesn’t have a trotter to stand on…
But then again, between June 2024 and March 2025, Farage only attended a lowly 36% of all votes in the Commons, juggling a Parliamentary career and a Cameo career must be hard.
Robbing Hood
You’ve heard of Robin Hood stealing from the rich to give to the poor. But have you heard of Robbing Hood, stealing from the poor to give to the rich?
In keeping with his man of the people, Dulwich College, city trader lifestyle, Farage has recently suggested that the UK should let non-doms pay to avoid tax. For a quarter of a million, non-doms would be able to purchase a new ‘Britannia Card’ and in return ‘would not be taxed on wealth, income or capital gains’ or even inheritance tax.
To put this tax break into some context, Dan Neidle (founder of Tax Policy Associates) predicts this policy would cost the exchequer £34 billion over five years. The policy was the latest in a long line of unfunded tax cuts, just a few weeks after Richard Tice was forced to u-turn on a £90 billion tax cut pledge…
They are making Liz Truss look like a model of fiscal stability.
Voting reform
Following the performance of the party at the local elections in May, Zia Yusuf appeared to backtrack on one of their key 2024 manifesto commitments. Writing in their manifesto, Reform promised a referendum on introducing Proportional Representation (PR) into the British voting system.
Fast-forward to May 2025 and Yusuf claimed that PR would create a ‘state of gridlock’ in Britain and that Reform was ‘firmly in favour of first past the post’. Which is quite different from what Yusuf said in June 2024 where he criticised the current voting system for creating ‘the second most disproportionate result of any advanced democracy in history’.
Do the maths!
Whilst David Bull may believe in ghosts, Andrea Jenkyns has suffered from a similar phantom apparition. After winning the devolved Lincolnshire mayoralty, former Tory minister and critic of devolved government Andrea Jenkyns, set about on her latest crusade against the diversity officers employed by the Lincolnshire combined authorities. There was of course one slight problem, she had invented their existence.
Taking inspiration from the flailing example of Elon Musk, Farage has repeatedly claimed that cutting DEI would save the treasury £7 billion a year. The reality? The government spends just £27 million a year on diversity initiatives, around 260 times less than the number claimed by Reform.
Although the fiasco did lead to quite an amusing exchange in the House of Commons…
Special Bonus
Whilst writing this blog, a member of Parliament and former member of Reform UK announced his new movement - Restore Britain. Apparently Rupert Lowe was as surprised as anyone when he found himself in Parliament, admitting that he does not have all the answers. Which is surprising because we thought he had none of the answers!
How you can fight the Radical Right?
As the right-wing in the UK becomes ever more active we need your help to know what they are doing and where they are doing it. Whether it was a leaflet through your door, an ad in a newspaper or anything else - tell us what you've seen.