I’m no Nigel Farage fanboy — but there’s no way Rupert Lowe’s lot will bring him down

While the civil war in rumbles on, many have asked whether it’s time for to step down as leader – a move that would surely bring about the end of the party. Some Reform members who support may believe their echo chamber is a true representation of the feelings of many people in Great Britain, but it’s not. I’m not some Farage-fan boy, but it is achingly obvious just how influential a leader he is, not just to those on the right of politics, but to the masses.

Oh, how I wish had such charisma. But for the vast majority of the public, they’d no idea who Rupert Lowe was before this spat with the Reform UK leader, and even now the mud-slinging has not affected the party’s popularity. In a Daily Express online poll, we asked Should be replaced as Reform UK leader? At the time of writing 70% of respondents voted no. Furthermore, in polling against other political parties Reform were tied for first place with Labour at 25%, with the on 23% and Lib Dems on 14%.

This doesn’t mean Farage is a Teflon-don and will be able to escape any scandal unscathed, but in this instance it appears he is still the best-placed person to lead Reform.

Full disclosure, is a friend of mine. When he was leader of Reform, the party gained some traction under his direction, but the shadow of Farage loomed large and there was a constant buzz about whether Nigel would return and lead them to victory – because he remained its most recognisable and influential figure.

Just look back at his leadership during UKIP’s rise and his role in , which demonstrated his ability to mobilise support, particularly among disaffected Conservative voters. He’s a winner.

The truth is that, without Farage, Reform UK lacks a leader with the same level of magnetism, camera presence, and ability to attract wide public attention.

As a party, they only have five MPs, nevertheless, you’ll be hard pressed to find a political podcast, radio show, TV programme or newspaper page that doesn’t mention them.

Tice did well to keep the party relevant, but it only really surged in the polls once Farage, the prodigal son, returned. If Reform UK wants to seriously challenge the , especially on issues like immigration and economic policy, Farage would be the figure best positioned to do so.

If people decide to no longer support Reform because they don’t like the way Lowe has been treated, which party will they vote for instead? A breakaway party led by Ben Habib, Lowe and other ousted Reformers? That would only split the vote.

Ultimately, Nigel knows that it is not the loyal Reform supporters that he needs to desperately keep on side, it’s disenfranchised Labour voters like me who he has to win over. So if Lowe loyalists fall from the party, we may still see a rise in Reform support coming from Labour and the voters.