A former Labour adviser has urged Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch to stop engaging in conflicts with Reform UK and its leader Nigel Farage as the row between them continues to escalate.
Speaking to GB News, Paul Richards criticised Badenoch’s strategy of “picking a fight with somebody who is an insurgent” while she serves as leader of the opposition.
“Why she is picking a fight with Reform, who have five seats, is beyond me, because all it does is to elevate them and to get them into the news,” Richards said.
The former adviser suggested Badenoch was “out of her depth” in her current role.
Kemi Badenoch has taken aim at Nigel Farage over Reform’s membership numbers, as well as his show on GB News
PA
“If I was a political strategist on that side of the aisle, I’d be saying for heaven’s sake, just be quiet about this. Don’t go on about it,” Richards added.
He noted the timing during the Christmas period had amplified the story’s impact due to fewer political news stories.
The clash between Badenoch and Reform UK has extended to media coverage, with the Conservative leader reportedly confronting GB News over Farage’s airtime claiming the channel is a “haven for her critics”.
In a statement, a GB News spokesman confirmed that the meeting took place “without any acrimony” and was “very constructive”.
Nigel Farage has demanded an apology from Badenoch following her claims
GB News / PA
Delivering his verdict on Badenoch’s performance as Tory leader, Richards noted: “I think she’s just out of her depth, that’s what’s being revealed. She was quite interesting in the election, but now she’s just not stepping up.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
In agreement with Richards, Deputy Editor of Spiked Fraser Myers highlighted Reform UK’s successful media strategy compared to Badenoch’s performance, claiming that Farage “is in the headlines because of Reform, not his show on GB News”.
Myers explained: “It is striking actually, if you just look at the activity in Parliament, how many questions Reform are putting forward, how much airtime they’re generating, how many policy announcements they’re making.
“And they are very successfully taking the airtime, generating column inches, and Kemi Badenoch isn’t.”
He added: “Which is surprising, because she is someone who is interesting, she always has an interesting point of view. She’s not a predictable, middle of the road, bland politician, but she hasn’t actually been able to seize the initiative so far.”
Richards told GB News that Badenoch should be ‘quiet’ and not ‘pick fights with an insurgent’ such as Reform
GB News
Taking aim at Reform UK’s membership numbers, Badenoch had also posted on social media, claiming the party’s membership counter was “coded to tick up automatically” and that “this kind of fakery gets found out pretty quickly”.
Badenoch maintained that Farage “doesn’t understand the digital age”, dismissing Reform UK’s membership claims.
The Reform UK leader said he would spend the weekend considering what action to take if Badenoch ignores his calls for an apology over the “crazy conspiracy theory”.
“I haven’t threatened anything. I’ve just said that unless I get an apology, I will take some action,” Farage said.
+ There are no comments
Add yours