“It’s too early to say if Nigel will deliver the goods. He can only do so if he surrounds himself with the right people. He has messianic qualities. But will those qualities translate into sage leadership? I don’t know.”
Lowe went on to explain that Reform need to “change from being a protest party led by the Messiah into being a properly structured party with a frontbench” stating that he will not be “by Nigel’s side at the next election unless we have a proper plan to change the way we govern from top to bottom.” Restructuring and ‘professionalising’ the party has been one of Reform’s top talking points recently…
Meanwhile, Guido has picked up a few grumbles from Reform HQ about Lowe’s rather prolific X activity. Teething problems…
In Henry Mance’s piece today for the FT, lunching with Nigel Farage:
“Splendido!” Farage says, when the drinks arrive; I suppose it’s a step to European reconciliation. We clink glasses, and he lights the first of two back-to-back Benson & Hedges. A few minutes later, we’re back downstairs. “Are you drinking? Good.” He orders a glass of Sauvignon blanc for each of us — not a bottle, “because it’s Lent” — followed by a bottle of claret, to have with our meal. They say Farage drinks less than he used to. They say a lot of things.”