Membership of Reform UK Overtakes Conservatives, Claims Party

December 27, 2024 TruthUSA

Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch has questioned the accuracy of the numbers presented by Reform UK, who claimed to have 131,681 members on Boxing Day.

Reform UK has now surpassed the Conservatives in terms of membership, as stated by the party led by Nigel Farage.

The announcement was made on the social media platform X on Boxing Day, once the party had reached 131,681 members.

Based on a House of Commons Library research briefing, the Conservative Party had 131,680 members leading up to their leadership election on Nov. 2.

Farage commented on X: “This is a historic moment. The youngest political party in British politics has now surpassed the oldest political party in the world.”

“Reform UK are now the true opposition,” added Farage.

Reacting to the announcement, academic, writer, and pollster Matthew Goodwin described it as a “significant shift in British politics.”

A digital counter on the Reform UK website displayed a growing number of members, exceeding 140,000 by Friday morning.

‘Fake’

However, Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch disputed the authenticity of the numbers.

“It’s not real,” Badenoch stated on X, suggesting that the number was artificially manipulated to increase automatically.

Badenoch pointed out that the Conservative Party’s membership data was from almost two months ago, highlighting that “the Conservative Party has gained thousands of new members since the leadership election.”

“We don’t boast about it … we are quietly and steadily growing based on principles and values, not tricks,” she added.

In response, Reform UK Chairman Zia Yusuf shared screenshots on X showing membership data, offering to undergo an audit of their numbers if the Conservatives agree to do the same.

Comparing Numbers ‘Difficult’

A House of Commons Library research briefing on party membership from August 2022 stated that comparing membership figures between political parties “can sometimes be challenging” due to the lack of a standardized definition of membership and monitoring method.

The briefing explained that political parties are not legally obligated to publish their membership statistics. They can include membership numbers in their annual accounts submitted to the Electoral Commission by the end of the year, but disclosing membership data is entirely voluntary.

Kemi Badenoch speaks during the second day of the the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, on Oct. 2, 2023. (Christopher Furlong/Getty Images) — Kemi Badenoch speaks during the second day of the the Conservative Party Conference in Manchester, England, on Oct. 2, 2023. Christopher Furlong/Getty Images

Luke Tryl, director of the think tank More in Common, commented on X that the increasing membership number signified “Reform’s momentum and strength” and their establishment of a tangible infrastructure and membership organization.

“However, having a larger number of highly engaged members does not equate to broader public support – otherwise, the 2019 election outcome would have been different,” he added.

The More in Common director emphasized that “Members play a vital role, and the Tories must rebuild their activist base to survive.”

5 Reform MPs

Reform UK is a relatively new party, originating in 2018 as The Brexit Party, which became the largest UK party in the European Parliament in 2019 before rebranding in 2021.

All but one of the Reform MPs were newly elected to the Commons, with Lee Anderson, previously a Conservative, retaining his seat in Ashfield, Nottinghamshire.

Farage secured victory in Clacton, Essex, unseating the incumbent Conservative MP Giles Watling.

Reform UK member Richard Tice speaks at a press conference in London, on Jan. 4, 2023. (Dan Kitwood/Getty Images) — Reform UK member Richard Tice speaks at a press conference in London, on Jan. 4, 2023. Dan Kitwood/Getty Images

Richard Tice claimed victory in Boston and Skegness in Lincolnshire, and Rupert Lowe won Great Yarmouth, both seats gained from the Conservatives.

The party secured a fifth seat shortly after in Basildon South and East Thurrock following a recount, with candidate James McMurdock winning over Labour by a narrow margin of 98 votes.

Unlike other political parties, Reform UK was established as a limited company, and in September, Farage announced he would alter the ownership structure to give control to the members.

Farage emphasized that their goal was to establish a genuine political opposition in the UK.

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