Reform has become a Tory old boys’ club

THIS IS HOW I SEE IT

- JJ Anisiobi

NIGEL Farage has always sold himself as the antidote to the political establishment.

He’s the bloke who'd burn the Westminster furniture rather than rearrange the cushions. But Reform UK is starting to look less like a revolution and more like a Conservative recycling centre, with more than 20 former Tory politicians having defected since the last election.

Let me be clear: Jonathan Gullis, the former Tory deputy chairman, is a mate of mine. I like him. He’s got the kind of robust opinions and Red Wall-energy that suits Reform.

If you're building a party that thrives on bluntness and populist edge, Gullis fits the brief.