and splintering of UK politics

But it was not all plain sailing, with the insurgent party suspending MP Rupert Lowe over alleged physical violence and watching Reform-led councils that had promised to slash spending preparing to increase council tax.

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Lord Peter Mandelson was sacked from his post in Washington as the extent of his friendship with paedoophile Jeffrey Epstein became clear Angela Rayner resigned from the Cabinet after failing to pay enough tax on a property purchase

Mr Farage has been dogged by racism claims from his schoolboy days and accusations of Kremlin sympathy after Reform's former Welsh leader was imprisoned for accepting bribes to peddle pro-Moscow propaganda.

Sir Keir has sharpened his attacks on Reform, telling The Economist he would not “sleep at night” under a Farage premiership which would “destroy much of our country”.