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🇬🇧 United Kingdom /Elections & Politics

Commentator Tim Montgomerie Quits Reform After Suspension

From BBC News · () English

Translated from English and summarized by DistantNews. Read the original for the full story.

At a glance

News Named sources Outcome reported
  • Political commentator Tim Montgomerie resigned from Reform UK after the party suspended him for criticizing senior figures.
  • He urged leader Nigel Farage to assert control and professionalize the party, while saying he still supports Reform's policies.
  • Montgomerie said Reform faces a choice between becoming a party of government and remaining a force that mainly changes the political debate.

Tim Montgomerie has resigned from Reform UK after being suspended for criticizing senior party figures, telling the BBC that Nigel Farage needs to “get a grip” of the organization.

get a grip

· Tim MontgomerieMontgomerie urged Nigel Farage to take control of Reform UK.

Montgomerie defected from the Conservative Party 18 months ago. He said his resignation followed a conversation on Tuesday with Reform chair Lee Anderson. “I think they wanted me back in the party but meekly,” he told the BBC. “And I wasn't prepared to do that.”

He said he still intended to support Reform and had no plans to rejoin the Conservatives. But he called for the party to be “more like Reform and less like the AfD,” referring to Germany's right-wing Alternative for Germany. His comments came after demonstrations against migrants in Dover and Portsmouth linked to Tommy Robinson. Montgomerie said Farage needed to assert his authority and professionalize the party.

I think they wanted me back in the party but meekly. And I wasn't prepared to do that.

· Tim MontgomerieHe explained why he resigned after speaking with Reform chair Lee Anderson.

“Nigel needs to get a grip, he needs to lead the party,” Montgomerie said. He credited Farage with preventing far-right activist Tommy Robinson from joining, but said the leader should act “for the sake of his legacy and the sake of decency” and bring figures including Zia Yusuf under control.

Nigel needs to get a grip, he needs to lead the party

· Tim MontgomerieHe called for Farage to assert authority and professionalize the party.

Montgomerie had previously criticized Farage's “aggrieved” tone after the Clacton by-election and said Yusuf was not a “team player.” Reform said his suspension followed party rules. After announcing his resignation, Montgomerie said he felt “very sad” and “battered” by the dispute. He warned that Reform had reached a junction after failing to replace the Conservatives as planned, and asked whether it wanted to become a party of government or remain on the political margins. A Reform spokesman said the party wished him well and thanked him for his service.

Does Reform want to be a party of government or does it want to stand at the edge and just change the debate?

· Tim MontgomerieMontgomerie described the strategic choice he believes Reform faces.
About this summary

Originally published by BBC News in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized automatically by DistantNews, with a note on how the source frames the story. Not individually reviewed before publishing. How this works.

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