Boris Johnson has shared what he considers the best way for the Conservative Party to grapple with the rise of Reform UK – simply ignore them. The ex-prime minister said confronting them directly would be pointless. Reflecting on his time leading the Tories, Mr Johnson added that Reform’s popularity in the polls was virtually non-existent during his leadership, when it was known as the Brexit party.
He told Swiss magazine Weltwoche: “My strategy with the individuals that you mention is don’t talk about them. When I was running the UK, this party you mention was on 0% in the polls, sometimes 3% max. Don’t talk about them. Talk about what you are going to offer the people.”
Mr Johnson added: “I think Conservatives need to concentrate on the economy and improving people’s lives by providing opportunities.
“I believe if we focus on the economy and wage full spectrum warfare on all the things that Starmer is getting wrong, we will triumph.”
His comments follow Reform’s surge in the polls, with the party making a substantial impact in the May local elections. The party earned control of seven local authorities and emerged as the largest party in three more.
The Tories lost 252 seats and only managed a 23.2% vote share, while Reform secured five seats with 14.3% of the vote.
Some Tory MPs have also been advocating for Mr Johnson to make a dramatic comeback to the Commons, hoping he can give a boost to the Conservative Party.
In recent months, both Sir Keir Starmer and Tory leader Kemi Badenoch have faced criticism for spending too much time attacking Reform.
In a March interview with The Telegraph, the leader of the Opposition dismissed Mr Farage as a “reality TV star”, suggesting that Government should not be about drama.
The Reform leader hit back, saying it was a good thing people knew who he was and comparing his TV background to Donald Trump’s journey to politics.