Reform’s Justice spokeswoman has refuted claims that Reform is not a united front, saying it was ‘perfectly obvious’ that a position had to be found for Richard Tice.
Speaking to GB News, Ann Widdecombe said: “I have been speaking to Ben Habib and as he says, he is quite literally reflecting on the situation which has arisen.
“It was quite obvious; first of all, your chief whip’s got to be in Parliament so that had to go to Lee Anderson.
“It's also quite obvious that once Nigel had come back as leader, Richard Tice had been in the role for some time and he had no formal position. So the obvious position for him is deputy leader.
“And that leaves the two previous deputy leaders being asked to do other things on which, as far as I can make out, they’re reflecting, which is fine.
“I really don't think they are [issues of loyalty]. The party is profoundly grateful for all Ben Habib has done, and I for one fervently hope that he keeps on doing it because he is our spokesman for the Union.
“He has been terrific in the work that he's done in Northern Ireland, and I don't think that anybody else could have done it as well. So I think this is a very straightforward business. There has been a reshuffle, and people have now got to think where they want to go from here.
On future relations with the EU, she said:
“The fact is that if we go down the route of agreeing any sort of free movement with the European Union, anything at all in return for closer cooperation, we're going to be absolutely out of control and we’re already out of control.
“Keir Starmer is doing nothing about it, let's be clear about that. By ditching Rwanda without putting anything in its place, other than the load of international talk, which is actually what he’s saying, I think it was quite right what James Cleverley said, he's actually hung a great welcome sign from the Cliffs of Dover, and he has.
“It's worth pointing out that if [migrants on the Polish border] are behaving that way, it's very difficult to see them as poor souls fleeing persecution: they are not, and that we have to be very clear about. and you're quite right.
“If there's any give at all, either in terms of quotas or in terms of freedom of movement or anything of that sort, or in terms of what restrictions we put in place as far as migrants go, any laxity in that will indeed result in that sort of thing over here.”
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