A former Labour adviser has criticised Tory leader Kemi Badenoch for engaging in an "unnecessary" public dispute with Nigel Farage over Reform UK's membership numbers.
Speaking to GB News, Paul Richards called Badenoch's decision to challenge Farage "barmy", saying it had "generated headlines" when there was no need.
Richards said: "It is a sign, to be fair, that Reform is on the march.
"It is a phenomenon and has been since the election within our political system, because of the reasons you say that there are large number of people in many seats did vote Reform.
Labour adviser Paul Richards blasted Kemi as "barmy"
GB News
"Even though our first past the post systems means they didn't get the number of seats that might correlate to.
"Why has Kemi picked this fight? I absolutely don't understand. I mean, it really is barmy because it's generated headlines where there was no need to at all."
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The row erupted on Boxing Day when Reform UK claimed its membership had surpassed Conservative Party numbers, leading to a heated exchange between the two party leaders.
"It is a sign, to be fair, that Reform is on the march," Richards said, acknowledging the party had become "a phenomenon" within the British political system.
Reform UK projected its membership counter onto Conservative Campaign Headquarters in London, displaying a figure surpassing the Tories' 131,680 members.
Farage called it a "historic moment", declaring that "the youngest political party in British politics has just overtaken the oldest political party in the world".
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch hit back KEMI BADENOCHBadenoch swiftly accused Reform of manipulating supporters with fake figures.
"It's not real. It's a fake clock coded to tick up automatically," she wrote on X. "We've been watching the back end for days."
The Conservative leader had also insisted that the Tories had gained "thousands of new members" since the leadership election.
"We are building quietly and steadily on principles and values, not gimmicks," she added. "The road ahead is long and difficult. But our first mission is to win the trust of the British People."
Nigel Farage branded the move "absolutely disgusting" GB News In response, Farage accused Badenoch of being "bitter, upset and angry" about Reform UK becoming "the second biggest party in British politics".
He challenged her claims by pointing to his larger social media following, noting: "I have 5.4 million followers and she has 320k."
The former Ukip leader also offered to have membership numbers independently verified.
