Reform defector blasts party as 'unfit to govern'

A Reform UK councillor who dramatically abandoned the Conservatives for Nigel Farage’s party has now walked away from Reform as well, launching a blistering attack on his former political home.

Robbie Lammas, once the deputy leader of Reform UK on Medway Council in Kent, has branded the party “unfit to govern” and accused it of being consumed by “toxic infighting”.

The political U-turn comes just eight months after Lammas switched from the Conservatives to Reform UK. Now, in a striking admission, he says joining the party was “the biggest mistake of his life” and that he felt “misled” about what Reform stood for.

Lammas has resigned from his position within the party and will continue to sit on Medway Council as an independent councillor. However, he has also made clear that he hopes to eventually return to the Conservative Party.

His criticism was fierce and direct. Lammas described Reform as “unserious, unprepared and unfit to govern”, claiming the disputes inside the party were so severe that they made previous Conservative rows appear insignificant by comparison.

In a strongly worded statement, he said: “I made a huge mistake leaving the Conservatives last year. I was wrong and I apologise.”

He went further, claiming many people inside Reform hold deep hostility towards Conservatives. According to Lammas, “Many in Reform hate conservatives. The infighting in Reform is toxic and make past Tory spats look like playground arguments.”

The councillor argued that despite disagreements within the Conservative Party, members remain united by common beliefs and principles. He compared the Conservatives to a family, saying they are bound together by shared values.

By contrast, he claimed Reform’s members are united mainly by grievance. Lammas acknowledged that addressing public frustration is part of politics, but insisted effective government requires people willing to solve problems rather than simply highlight them

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“Whilst speaking to grievance is part of politics, good governance depends on those willing to serve in the public interest to fix the problems, not just spin them,” he said. “Reform are unserious, unprepared and unfit to govern.”

The departure is particularly notable because Lammas had been a prominent recruit for Reform. First elected to Medway Council in 2021, he crossed the floor to join Nigel Farage’s party last year at a time when Reform was seeking to attract disillusioned Conservative politicians.

Before that switch, Lammas had also served as a Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Conservative Party, making his defection a significant embarrassment for some former colleagues.

Now he has publicly apologised to Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch, saying he has written to her personally. He praised what he described as her efforts to rebuild the party and acknowledged the damage his departure caused.

“I have written to Kemi Badenoch to apologise for my mistake and to recognise the significant progress she has made turning the Conservative Party around,” he said.

Lammas added that he originally joined Reform because he believed it welcomed people who shared conservative values. He now says he no longer believes that is true.

Reform UK quickly hit back at the departing councillor. A party spokesman said Lammas had previously been suspended while being investigated over his conduct and that the investigation resulted in a formal warning.

The spokesman also revealed that Lammas had applied for a job within the party but was unsuccessful. Reform pointed to its recent electoral successes, noting that it had secured major victories in local government elections across the country and now controls more than 30 councils.

The party insisted it remains confident about its future prospects and said it was looking ahead to further electoral contests in Medway.

Whether Lammas eventually returns to the Conservative fold remains to be seen. For now, his dramatic exit has added another chapter to the political tensions between Reform UK and the Conservatives as both parties compete for support on the British right.

Reform UK councillor quits as Nigel Farage's party is 'unfit to govern' with 'toxic infighting'