Reform UK now has extra members than the Conservative Social gathering and is “the real opposition” based on Nigel Farage, whereas Kemi Badenoch has referred to as his numbers “fake”.
In accordance with a digital counter on the celebration’s web site, Reform UK had gone previous 131,690 members – the quantity the Conservative Social gathering declared earlier than its management election within the autumn – simply earlier than noon on Boxing Day.
Mr Farage, celebration chief and MP for Clacton-on-Sea, hailed the “historic moment” and mentioned on X: “The youngest political party in British politics has just overtaken the oldest political party in the world. Reform UK are now the real opposition.”
However Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch accused the celebration of issuing deceptive figures: “Manipulating your own supporters at Xmas eh, Nigel?. It’s not real. It’s a fake… [the website has been] coded to tick up automatically.”
Posting on X, she added that the Tories had “gained thousands of new members since the leadership election”.
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Reform UK additionally shared a video of the membership tracker being projected on to the Conservative Social gathering headquarters in London in a single day.
Zia Yusuf, celebration chairman, additionally mentioned “history has been made today” and that the Tories’ “centuries-long stranglehold on the centre-right of British politics” has “finally been broken”.
Mr Farage hit again at Ms Badenoch, who strongly contested Reform UK’s figures. He claimed to have proof and posted a screenshot of an internet register reportedly exhibiting ‘lively memberships’.
“We understand you are bitter, upset and angry that we are now the second biggest party in British politics, and that the Conservative brand is dying under your leadership. However, this not an excuse to accuse us of committing fraud,” he wrote on X.
Mr Yusuf added to the talk by showing to goad Ms Badenoch about an audit: “We will gladly invite a Big 4 audit firm to verify our membership numbers on the basis that you do the same.”
Picture:
Nigel Farage mentioned Reform UK is ‘now the true opposition’ after the ‘historic second’. Pic: Reuters
The Conservative celebration membership determine – shared after Kemi Badenoch was introduced as the brand new chief on 2 November – was the bottom on file and a drop from the 2022 management contest, when there have been round 172,000 members.
In response, a Conservative Social gathering spokesman mentioned: “Reform has delivered a Labour Government that has cruelly cut winter fuel payments for 10 million pensioners, put the future of family farming and food security at risk, and launched a devastating raid on jobs which will leave working people paying the price.
“A vote for Reform this coming Might is a vote for a Labour council – solely the Conservatives can cease this.”
In accordance with analysis from the Home of Commons Library, there is no such thing as a uniformly recognised definition of celebration membership and no established technique or physique to watch the variety of members every political group has.
Reform UK was additionally initially arrange as a restricted firm, however Mr Farage mentioned he would change the celebration’s construction to be member-owned in September.
It comes after Mr Farage provided to assist Lord Mandelson, the brand new ambassador to the US, negotiate with president-elect Donald Trump’s incoming administration.
A protracted-time affiliate of Mr Trump, he has been seen at a number of Republican occasions throughout and after the presidential election.
