Nigel Farage’s Reform UK will ‘pick off’ Tory MPs, Lee Anderson warns

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Lee Anderson has warned that Nigel Farage’s Reform UK might “pick off” plenty of Conservative MPs and open the door for a Labour landslide.

The Tory deputy chairman mentioned Mr Farage’s occasion, previously the Brexit Party, is a “threat”, including that they’re a “bigger threat to the country at the moment than the Labour Party”.

Reform, which will set out its stall to voters at a press convention in London on Wednesday, might cut up the vote in tens of Tory seats, including the dimensions of a possible Labour election win.

It has vowed to struggle the Tories throughout the nation and chief Richard Tice, who took the reins from Mr Farage in 2021, has vowed to have a “massive impact” on the approaching election.

It has already helped to derail two key Tory by-election campaigns, with its share of the vote in Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth larger than Labour’s majorities within the seats.

And in an indication of rising Tory unease on the occasion’s development, with a 9 per cent ballot ranking, outspoken deputy chairman Mr Anderson mentioned: “They are a threat.”

He advised GB News: “I’ve got a lot of time for Nigel [Farage]…he’s doing fantastic things but Reform are a threat.

“If Reform do 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, and a Labour government is the last thing I want.”

Mr Anderson went on to assert {that a} Labour authorities would drag Britain again into the European Union regardless of Sir Keir Starmer having dominated out rejoining the bloc.

Reform’s much-vaunted press convention might convey readability on Mr Farage’s function within the occasion forward of an election later this yr.

It is just not recognized whether or not he will return because the chief of the occasion, which he arrange and controls, or whether or not he might return in a campaigning function.

There can be hypothesis Mr Farage might make his eighth run for a seat in parliament.

Any return to frontline politics by Mr Farage could be seen as an extra blow to the Tories’ electoral hopes. Growing discontent amongst voters about hovering web migration and Rishi Sunak’s failure to “stop the boats” has opened the door for Mr Farage to assault the Tories from the fitting.

On Tuesday Mr Farage responded to the federal government’s makes an attempt to “rush through” the backlog of asylum seekers by saying: “The Conservatives have failed us all.”

Per week earlier he attacked dwelling secretary James Cleverly, branding him a “moron” for celebrating the lack of small boat crossings on Christmas day.

He added that the Conservatives “all deserve to lose your seats at the election”.

Mr Anderson mentioned he “failed to see” the place Reform might win any seats, however accepted voters pissed off with the Tories over migration might flock to the occasion of their thousands and thousands.

He added: “I will say this, it’s – I’m not saying they’re a one-man party, but he is the figurehead is Nigel, he does a great job but I think if they want any inroads, then he has to stand.

“He has to be the leader of the party. He has to stand in the election, because I mean, Richard Tice, I’ve got a lot of time for Richard, but knock on doors in Ashfield and nobody’s ever heard of him.”