Reform UK’s former deputy leader Ben Habib has quashed reports that Kemi Badenoch is assembling a “Farage attack unit” alongside “senior ex-Reformers and Ukippers”.
With Reform UK leapfrogging the Tories to second or joint-first place in recent polls, and the populist party “professionalising” under chairman Zia Yusuf, it is now being reported that the Tory leader could move to target her rival on the right.
The “unit” is “specifically aimed at taking out Farage”, and though Badenoch has not yet given it the go-ahead, that could be due to a shortage of funds.
Responding to the news, Yusuf declared on social media that Reform has “been attacked harder by those who claim to be ‘friendly critics’… than the left-wing media”.
Ben Habib has quashed links to Kemi Badenoch’s rumoured ‘Reform attack unit’
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“They are long-departed Reformers and Ukippers, consumed with envy and bitterness, and deal in lies. Sad really,” he said.
Yusuf added: “I have it on good authority that these people are paid agitators, literally covertly working for the failed Tory Party to try to derail Reform.”
Speaking to GB News today, Habib appeared to dismiss Tory-led efforts to dethrone Nigel Farage.
Habib told the People’s Channel: “I’m not aware of any such unit. The good news for Farage is that any such attack would be futile because he owns Reform.
“There is no chance of unseating him. Kemi would be wasting her time.”
But while the Conservatives are ramping up efforts against Reform, Farage is looking to siphon off Conservatives – prompting a volley of jabs from the ex-deputy leader.
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‘The good news for Farage is that any such attack would be futile because he owns Reform,’ Habib jabbed
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Habib said: “Reform’s aim over the next three or four years is to take over as much as possible of the Conservative Party.
“It is after former Tory MPs, current MPs and the Tory grassroots. Farage has assessed it is easier to create a party by absorbing Tories, than it is to grow organically. In doing so he also calculates he is weakening the Conservative Party.
“This makes political sense, but is ideologically flawed. By becoming Tory 2.0, Farage risks alienating Reform’s own grassroots and more seriously its voters.
“To make Reform more appealing to Tories, Farage has moved Reform to the left and seems to be continuing that journey.
Farage’s move to ‘absorb Tories’ from Kemi Badenoch is ‘ideologically flawed’, Habib told GB News
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“In certain aspects on immigration, he is on the record saying he is not concerned about the rate of demographic change in the country and not in favour of mass deportation of illegal migrants. He is now on the left of the Tories in these matters.”
“He also declared he would consider the repatriation of Shamima Begum – a red rag to anyone on the right. Some joked whether he was appealing to Corbyn’s voters.”
Asked whether Tory defections risked sparking a split to the right within Reform UK itself, Habib said: “There is already a split on the right – between the Tories and Reform. The question is: Who will be right?”
When pressed on whether he would get involved with such a split, Habib left a leading answer: “I am already very involved.”
GB News has approached Reform UK for comment.