I have been asked to comment on the attached article which appeared in the Sunday Times last weekend.
So here is my comment:
In late November 2022, I heard that a particular Conservative Party MP was extremely unhappy with the manner of Rishi Sunak’s appointment as PM and the direction of travel of the Conservative Party. He came to my office on 28 November 2022. It was the first time I had met him and I have not corresponded with or met him since.
At the time I was not a member of Reform UK, or indeed any political party. I had been disillusioned with the Tories since Theresa May undermined Brexit and Johnson left Northern Ireland behind in the EU. Liz Truss offered a rare glimpse of hope that we might take back Northern Ireland and be governed conservatively. But she was defenestrated within days by her Parliamentary colleagues and the Bank of England, both hell bent on progressive socialism.
The politician I met was not the only frustrated Tory MP.
It occurred to me a couple of years ago that, if such MPs wanted to put their country first, a group (I had 10 or more in mind) might consider either setting up a new genuinely conservative party or joining an existing insurgent such as Reform UK. I was sure the country would welcome and support a party like that. If such a grouping came together, I thought sufficient funds could be raised to ensure its long term success, including potentially it being able to offer them jobs in growing the new party should they lose their seats. After all, joining a new or unproven party was a risk and there would be future elections needing to be fought. The MP told me he thought the idea very “fair”.
But never did I make any kind of offer to the MP on behalf of Reform UK or any other entity. I was in no position to do so.
To reiterate, I was not then a member of Reform UK, had no authority to speak for it and had not discussed this with Richard T…

🐦🔗: https://nitter.cz/benhabib6/status/1730950473337680079#m

[2023-12-02 14:02 UTC]