Lee Anderson, deputy chairman of the Conservative Party, said the most prominent Reform figures were too “rich” to feel any economic problems under the Labor Party. Credit: David Rose
UK reforms pose a greater risk to the Conservatives and the country than the Labor Party, says Lee Anderson.
Mr Anderson, the Tory party's deputy chairman, told Reform and Richard Tice that the party leader should be “careful what he wishes for” as he believes growing popularity could affect the Conservatives' performance in the general election.
< p>The Rebel Party, to the right of the government on immigration and net zero, has about 10 per cent of the vote.
Mr Tice will hold a press conference on Wednesday amid speculation that Nigel Farage, the party's co-founder reforms and its honorary president for life, may return to a more active role in the party.
Speaking to GB News, Mr Anderson said: “He's a great figurehead, Nigel. He was a great politician, he did fantastic things. But reforms are a threat. I think they pose a greater threat to the country than the Labor Party at the moment.
Because if Reform does throw many of us Tory MPs out at the next election, then eventually we will get a Labor government.
“He risks losing a lot of Tory seats, seats like mine, to bring some Labor back to power.”
Richard Tice , leader of Britain's Reform Party, will hold a press conference on Wednesday. Photo: Carl Court/Getty Images
Mr Anderson, MP for Ashfield in Nottinghamshire, also suggested that, unlike his constituents, the most prominent Reform figures were too “rich” to feel any economic problems under the Labor government.
“Nigel and Ben [Habib], deputy leader of the Reform Party] and Richard, they're all self-made rich men, good luck to them,” he said.
“But if [Sir Keir] Starmer will get the keys to number 10, they can go back to their big fancy houses, penthouses, country houses etc, close the curtains and get on with their lives – they will be fine. The people I care about are the people in Ashfield.”
In a direct message to Mr Tice, Mr Anderson said: “Richard, I think you are a great man, I think your heart is in the right place for the country, but be careful what you wish for… I agree with almost 80 per cent what you say. Do you really want to get rid of MPs like me?
He also said that Farage would have to replace Tice as leader of the Reform Party for the party to succeed at the elections.
In the Mid Bedfordshire and Tamworth by-election in November, in which Sir Keir's party won both Conservative seats, the Reform share of the vote was greater than both Labour's. Majority.
A Reform spokesman said: “Surely, if Lee had been honest with himself and the good people of Ashfield, he would have already done the noble thing and left the Conservative Party and joined us. But this is not his way.”
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