A Reform UK insider has hit out at the Liberal Democrats, claiming that Ed Davey’s party doesn't have what it takes to be a "national political party".
The savage takedown comes after a new poll shows Reform UK has suffered a dip in popularity while the Liberal Democrats have surged to a five-year high rating.
Pollsters More In Common put Ed Davey’s party on 16 per cent nationwide, a marked rise of four points since mid-February.
Meanwhile, Nigel Farage’s Reform UK dropped from 26 per cent to 24 per cent, with the Conservatives taking the top spot and Labour trailing in third place on 23 per cent.
A Reform UK insider has hit out at the Liberal Democrats, claiming it doesn't have what it takes to be a "national political party".
Getty Images/GB News
Reform apparatchiks can give short shrift to the polling this far out from the next General Election but they will be haunted by last year's results.
On July 4, the Liberal Democrats secured 72 seats with 12.2 per cent of the vote, while Reform UK obtained five seats with 14.3 per cent of the vote.
Admittedly, Reform had barely got off the ground in the run-up to the last election, but it was a cautionary reminder of the threat posed by the fellow insurgent party, which tends to sweep up the centre-right voters disillusioned with the Conservatives.
The Lib Dems romped to victory on July 4 by focusing its efforts on local activism and targeted seats.
While this strategy proved successful, it has its limits, one Reform insider tells GB News.
"Their campaign was localised, yes. But the Lib Dems do not perceive themselvesto be a national political party.They are a very, very localised political party," he claimed.
How the insider sees it, the Lib Dems are "all things to all people, they don't have a core set of beliefs, so they can bend themselves to the wind in whichever locality they're in".
He views this strategy as "deeply cynical" and ultimately self-defeating as voters are left wondering what the party stands for.
"It is a ragbag of local issues and grievanceswith a political party's name."
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Reform UK is still leading the pack but Lib Dems are gaining, the latest opinion poll shows
Westminster voting intention (YouGov, Feb 2025)
GBN
How does this contrast with Reform?
The insider told us: "We are a national political party and have ambitions to govern the country."
As he sees it, one of Nigel Farage's talents is that "he doesn't give a sh**t what you think" and this lends him authenticity - he doesn't just blow with the wind.
Davy would likely defend the Liberal Democrats' narrow focus on local issues in light of recent by-election wins and projected gains in the council elections in May.
The Liberal Democrats' targeted messaging also secured the party 72 seats in Parliament at the last General Election, while Reform UK only obtained five seats with 14.3 per cent of the vote.
