The civil war within Reform UK has intensified after a high-profile ally of Nigel Farage vowed to challenge his suspension to test whether the party can “tolerate free speech”.
Tim Montgomerie, a commentator and senior party figure, was suspended on Tuesday after he criticised home affairs spokesperson Zia Yusuf for not being a “team player”.
He has been openly critical of Mr Yusuf in recent weeks and even publicly suggested in a podcast that “Nigel has fallen out of love with Zia”.
Mr Montgomerie told the BBC’s Newsnight programme that he is “going to fight” his suspension.
He said: “I think if that is the sort of censorship that the party wants to impose on me, that is not healthy.
“I’m gonna make this a test case of whether it is a party that can tolerate free speech and dissent.”
He added: “I am going to fight this suspension. I want to stay in Reform. I believe that Reform’s policies from immigration to crime to the ones that Robert Jenrick announced yesterday on welfare are the right ones for this country.”
Earlier, in a statement on his suspension, he also claimed that Mr Farage had not known about it before it happened.
Last week Reform’s leader hit out at Mr Yusuf for calling a former Tory defence secretary, and soldier, Ben Wallace a “traitor”.
Speaking on The Spectator’s Coffee House Shots podcast earlier this week, Mr Montgomerie said of Mr Yusuf: “It was unprecedented for Farage to criticise him last week, but did he take down the tweet that Nigel criticised? No. He wouldn’t. He’s loyal to Nigel as he has to be if he wants to succeed him, but in terms of being able to really play as a team player…”
“He has consistently freelanced on Twitter, on, for example, accepting Conservative candidates, Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, even though he knew they were being wooed. But it was his way of trying to undermine that policy.”
Reform said its general secretary and chairman “have had months of complaints regarding Tim’s behaviour and conduct. They saw fit to take action and protect the party”.
A senior Reform source also said the party would “never engage the Tory briefing wars and toxicity that goes with them – the correct course of action has been taken. Disagreements should happen behind closed doors, not in the eye of the national media.”
The row within Reform has overshadowed what should be a good week for the party, after Mr Farage was returned to Parliament on Friday with victory in the Clacton by-election.
