Challenges and Controversies Surrounding Reform UK in 2025
Reform UK experienced rapid growth in 2025, expanding its support base to more than a quarter of the electorate largely from disaffected Conservative voters, complicating its ability to sustain a breakthrough at scale. However, the party possesses shallow roots, making it vulnerable to scrutiny and potential instability once in government.
Internal tensions surfaced when Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice apologized for an earlier claim that the special educational needs and disabilities (Send) crisis was caused by families abusing the system. A notable related policy involves the Send provision through repurposing empty churches as schools, with ten English councils now responsible for delivering this provision.
The party's reputation faces additional challenges: former classmates have alleged that Nigel Farage made racist and antisemitic remarks as a schoolboy, though Farage denies direct targeting. Nathan Gill, a former Welsh Reform leader, was jailed for taking bribes from Russia, potentially casting a long shadow over the party.
These developments coincide with heightened national-security awareness, prompting the government to commission a long-overdue inquiry into foreign interference in British elections. Defence discussions include the prospect of NATO involvement within five years, warnings from MI6 about the country being suspended between war and peace, and an upcoming defence spending review.
The left is cautioned not to treat Reform UK solely as Labour's problem. Kemi Badenoch's performance offers cautious hope, but simply copying Reform is unlikely to be the solution.
