Reform could be heading for another civil war following their election wins, Tory insiders claim. Nigel Farage’s party is celebrating dramatic election wins, with Reform’s Sarah Pochin becoming new MP for Runcorn & Helsby and Andrea Jenkyns becoming the first ever mayor of Greater Lincolnshire.
But Mr Farage is locked in a bitter row with former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who is now an independent MP and is taking legal action against his former party. And there is a history of splits in Reform UK – as well as in UKIP, the party Mr Farage used to lead. For example, Ben Habib, Reform’s former co-deputy leader, is also now one of Mr Farage’s critics.
Tory sources are predicting there could be yet more splits. A senior Conservative source said: “Farage is obviously jubilant. But once the glow of victory dims, Nigel will be hoping Sarah Pochin and Andrea Jenkyns toe the line.
“The last time a member of Reform threatened his authority, Farage kicked Rupert Lowe out of the party and claimed he had dementia. How long might it be before we see the Independent Mayor of Lincolnshire taking her former party to court…?”
Tensions between Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe became clear from the moment the pair entered the Commons last year. The Reform leader’s friends accused Mr Lowe of failing to be a team player, as Mr Lowe publicly demanded mass deportations of illegal migrants.
In January, Elon Musk drove a wedge between the pair after the US billionaire called on Nigel Farage to be replaced as Reform UK leader, suggesting Mr Lowe as his successor.
Reform enjoyed a comfortable victory in the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral vote, winning 42.0% of the vote, well ahead of the Conservatives in second place on 26.1%.
Labour finished a distant third on 12.3%.
The result suggests Reform are likely to do well in the separate elections for Lincolnshire county council, which will be counted and declared later on Friday.
Winning candidate Dame Andrea Jenkyns is a former Conservative MP and becomes Reform’s first-ever directly-elected regional mayor. She won on a very low turnout of 29.9%, however.
