Winston Churchill's great nephew backs Reform UK and says Farage could 'end up in the same league' as his great uncle

The Duke attended Royal Ascot horse racing festival with a turquoise Reform rosette on the inside of his morning coat.

An outspoken friend of the Reform UK leader, he praised Farage's public speaking skills, likening him to the wartime PM’s father, Lord Randolph Churchill, a 19th century chancellor.

The Duke told The Telegraph: "I’m voting for Reform UK because I won’t vote for Keir Starmer, for obvious reasons, and there’s no point voting for the Tories because they aren’t going to be back for 10 or 15 years, if ever.

"Nigel Farage is doing the best job any man can do for his country and he is the only person who can stop this country being dragged into another war.

"Farage is an extraordinary public speaker. He doesn’t need notes or an autocue. There is no other politician who comes close.

"I believe, if he is given a chance to serve his country, he could end up in the same league as Randolph and Winston."

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Delighted to have the support of Winston Churchill’s great nephew, the Duke of Marlborough. 🇬🇧 pic.twitter.com/BUWdUeutKm

— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 21, 2024

The Duke's official home is Blenheim Palace in Oxfordshire. In 1994, the 11th Duke had won a court battle ensuring the now-Duke, from whom he was then estranged, would never win control of the family seat.

However, father and son later reconciled and the Duke was a major beneficiary of his will.

Despite this, his legal control of the Blenheim estate is significantly limited because he is not a trustee of the Blenheim Palace Heritage Foundation, which operates the world heritage site.

Friends say the Duke has shown his support for Reform UK on his private social media accounts, telling his circle that a vote for the Conservatives is a vote for Labour.

It comes as Farage addressed a crowd in Cheshire, telling them the Conservatives have "lost their soul."

The Reform leader said: "The Conservatives deserve to lose the election and Labour don’t deserve to win. Don’t feel guilty for leaving them, they’ve left you. 14 years of Tory government and they may as well rename themselves the SDP.

"Low tax, low liberty, high immigration party… they’ve lost their soul.

"I just take the view that the Conservatives deserve to lose the election and Labour don’t deserve to win.”