London (Parliament Politics Magazine) – Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced 29 councillors joining his party as he attempted to shift focus from party rifts after Rupert Lowe’s suspension.
After Mr Farage introduced 29 new Reform UK councillors, it was revealed that only nine were new, with just three actually standing for election.
What did Nigel Farage say about Reform’s new councillors?
Speaking at a high-end London hotel on Monday, the Reform leader revealed a batch of new councillors, insisting their defections proved, “this party is very much on the up.”
In his speech, Mr Farage admitted the dispute with Rupert Lowe had led to “some consternation” but dismissed its significance, arguing, “that upset is very much at the edges.” He hinted that a barrister’s report on the MP’s allegations could wrap up this week.
When asked by the press about Mr Lowe, he stated,
“You might have noticed that we have been through a little bit of turbulence over the course of the last couple of weeks.”
Mr Farage said,
“We’ve been increasingly concerned about the behaviour of one of our members of parliament, and when we found out that some serious complaints have gone in, we thought, you know what, let’s just suspend the whip and let’s find out what the truth is, and we will wait … we will get the report from the independent king’s council.”
Addressing concerns over Zia Yusuf being targeted by criticism from former and current Reform members, Mr Farage stated there was a “world of difference” between the abuse directed at the party chair and comments made by Reform MP Lee Anderson about London Mayor Sadiq Khan.
In response to a question about Reform UK members involved in the online abuse of Mr Yusuf, Mr Farage remarked,
“I don’t think that those comments online have necessarily come from Reform UK members. I think there’s a quite deliberate attempt out there to try and just be as nasty as people can. And I don’t like it.”
He added,
“I have always said [parties he has led] they would be non-racist, non-sectarian parties. I’ve always been very tough on that, I’m going to go on being tough on that.”
What did the Tories say about Farage’s claims?
Tory officials alleged that Nigel Farage was using distraction to divert attention from the internal turmoil within Reform UK while misleading the media about the party’s affairs.
The Conservatives challenged Mr Farage’s claims that all councillors had defected in the past two weeks, revealing that four had joined Reform UK more than a month before the press conference.
What did the Techne poll reveal about Reform’s standing?
As reported by The Independent, Techne’s latest poll revealed that Reform UK has hit its lowest polling point since January due to internal party conflict.
The polling data from Techne shows Reform UK has slipped by one point to 24 percent, marking a two-point drop below its peak four weeks ago. At the same time, Tory leader Kemi Badenoch has gained momentum, rising by one point to 22 percent.
Labour’s support has dipped to 27 percent, down by one point, but they maintain a three-point lead. However, the Liberal Democrats have reached their highest polling position in 2025, increasing by one point to 14 percent.
Is Reform favoured to win the Runcorn by-election?
In the Runcorn by-election, Reform UK is the leading party to replace ex-Labour MP Mike Amesbury, who secured a 15,000-vote majority in July.
When asked about the importance of the by-election, the Reform leader insisted, “It’s a must-win for Labour, it’s not a must-win [for Reform], it’s Labour’s 16th safest seat.”
How has Reform been affected by the Farage-Lowe rift?
Reform UK has faced internal disputes for two weeks. Rupert Lowe was expelled from the party amid allegations of bullying, which were referred to the police.
Mr Lowe stated,
“We have to change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a front bench, which we don’t have. We have to start behaving as if we are leading and not merely protesting.”
He said,
“Nigel is a messianic figure who is at the core of everything but he has to learn to delegate, as not everything can go through one person.”