Ben Habib was previously given the position of Deputy Leader of Reform UK, and was a strong advocate of professionalising and democratising Reform UK.
Nigel Farage, the owner of the Reform UK, took the decision to show Ben Habib the door, when he came back in as Leader, prior to the 2024 General Elections.
Ben has now launched the Integrity Party but that name will most likely change
What does this mean to the political landscape ?
Very broadly, thinking will fall into the following categories:
- It’s an irrelevance
- It will further divide the right-wing vote, creating a risk that centre, or left will remain as the dominant political party in the country
- It provides another home, and a more natural home, for voters towards the right
For some their vote is cast in stone, so this move will be an irrelevance.
The concept of right wing and left wing is becoming a blurred concept. There is more value in talking what people need in this country, and what the country needs to be. Pigeon-holing groups or individuals as right, left, centrist, populist or whatever label you may use.
Of course some vote for a party because they want them (old school style), but 2024 saw a backlash against the Conservatives and current polls would indicate a likely backlash against Labour. But that backlash may not be as visible in local council given how people vote for the person as much as the party.
Where would a backlash vote go in a general election in 2026 ?
There is a possibility that Labour will have turned things all around by then.
There is also the possibility that the Conservatives will have also turned things around, and regained a following.
However, current polls show Reform UK as strong. Some of that will be a backlash vote from not wanting Labour or Conservatives, but some of it that support will be due to the party, and some support due to Nigel Farage.
Support for Reform UK has seen a move away from the grass-roots support to a newer band of supporters, or it has turned it’s back on many of the people that were involved in the early days.
Rupert Lowe leaving the party was a defining moment and exposed a bad side to the party. But Lowe being kicked out followed a number of local parties, having people removed from the party. How Reform UK handled Rupert Lowe didn’t really position the party as a party that could manage one individual, let alone a country.
Although the mainstream media tried to dismiss this as simply an embarrassing debarcle. and “boys fighting”, the truth is it demonstrated a very low tolerance from Farage to proficient, or independent thinkers in the party. It demonstrated Farage’s way his way or the highway approach.
A look through Facebook will show many devout foot soldiers of Farage, ready to take down anyone online that deviates from the words of Farage.
But, there are many that will say they feel they have to vote for Reform UK as they are the only alternative. They acknowledge problems with Reform UK, but simply feel backed into a corner.
Most of the criticism is centred around the democratic structure as party, and it being more a following of Farage, rather than a true party of people.
A test of democracy within a party is the ability to change the Leader of the party. Farage has rewritten another version of the oh-so-problematic constitution. It still retains a need for 50% of Members to write a letter of no-confidence in the Leader, however following that the Board would need to pass the motion.
In summary this new party will appeal to:
- People that don’t personally like Nigel Farage
- Those that want a patriotic, and right of centre party, and see Reform UK moving to the centre
- Those that were removed from Reform UK
- Individuals that feel pushed into a corner to vote Reform UK, but want a more open and democratic party
- The patriotic, but sensible, not radical patriotic
Tim Cook