Top Conservative Party member James Cleverly has distanced himself from a controversial statement made by party chairman Kevin Hollinrake, who compared Reform UK to the Nazis, despite Kemi Badenoch claiming it was intended as a joke.
Cleverly criticized Hollinrake’s comparison, calling it a misguided post that caused widespread outrage. Hollinrake, who has been heading the party since July, shared an image of a Swastika badge in response to a post by the Reform leader. Although he swiftly removed the post, he later reinforced his stance by sharing a link to a page detailing the badge.
In an interview with Times Radio, Cleverly expressed his disapproval, stating that the post did not effectively convey the point Hollinrake intended. He highlighted the context of Reform’s former leader in Wales being imprisoned for accepting bribes from the Russian state to promote Russian propaganda, suggesting that the party is embroiled in scandal.
Cleverly also criticized Nigel Farage for neglecting to investigate potential Russian influence within Reform, deeming it unacceptable behavior for a party leader. This criticism follows the recent imprisonment of Reform UK’s former Welsh leader, Nathan Gill, for accepting Russian bribes.
Meanwhile, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch defended Hollinrake’s actions as a joke, emphasizing Reform’s online behavior targeting other politicians. Hollinrake had posted an image of a badge awarded to early members of Adolf Hitler’s party in 1933 in response to a post by Farage teasing a forthcoming event with a gold Reform logo.
Despite removing the image, Hollinrake later shared a link to the Wikipedia page about the badge, accompanied by an “eyes” emoji, provoking further backlash within Reform circles. Farage retaliated by suggesting that such actions could lead Reform UK to success in the next election, a notion supported by leaked polling data from Tory headquarters.
Reform advisor Alan Mendoza, a recent defector from the Tories, criticized Hollinrake’s comparison, branding it a disgraceful and baseless slur. Tory MP Suella Braverman also condemned the comparison as wrong and counterproductive, asserting that Hollinrake’s views do not represent her own.
In response, a Tory spokesperson highlighted Reform’s focus on social media over addressing serious issues such as the imprisonment of their leader in Wales and proposed changes to welfare policies. On the other hand, a source from Reform accused the Conservative Party of labeling their supporters as Nazis, illustrating a deepening divide between the two parties.
Hollinrake’s subsequent sharing of a page about the Golden Party Badge, an award authorized by Hitler, further intensified the controversy. Reform’s policy chief Zia Yusuf predicted that Hollinrake’s actions could harm the reelection prospects of key Conservative figures like Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick, as the incident is likely to be widely publicized to constituents.
The escalating tensions underscore the growing animosity between Reform UK and the Conservative Party, with both sides engaging in heated exchanges and accusations.