‘I don’t like this Musk chap’: Reform members declare they’re unbothered by spat

Even by the standards of the Reform UK event, it has been an fascinating few weeks.

In December, its chief Nigel Farage flew to Florida to meet Elon Musk, the multi-billionaire, where they discussed a feasible donation.

On Boxing Day, it announced its membership figures had surpassed those of the Conservatives. There was then a spat with Conservative chief Kemi Badenoch over whether those numbers were correct.

Last Sunday in a post on his social media site X, Musk unexpectedly appeared to withdraw back from Farage saying he “doesn’t have what it takes” to navigator the event.

And on Friday, 10 Reform UK councillors in Derbyshire resigned from the event, in protest at Farage’s leadership.

Reform UK members assembly on an icily cold Friday evening at Sandown Racecourse for the event’s South East conference weren’t disheartened by the feasible deficit of a wealthy and influential backer.

“I don’t like this Musk chap,” says Gloria Jane Martin.

She worked in cabin crew for British Airways until she reached the point where “I never wanted to meet passengers again” and started investing in property and campaigning in politics instead.

“He [Musk] has been dangling the money. I’m worried there would be strings attached, that he would demand some policies.

“I ponder Reform got away lightly… Nigel has handled it diplomatically. I don’t ponder he can afford to have Musk too close.

“He is destructive, he could ruin Reform.”

There are about 850 attendees at Sandown, according to the organisers, who declare it was a sold out occurrence.

Among them is Howard Ward from Winchester, who has switched to Reform from the Conservatives.

Like many here he is not bothered about Musk. “Let him talk away,” he says.

Kevin Burrell doesn’t ponder Musk is “being solemn” and even if he is, it doesn’t matter. “We’ve got Candy… he is going to do wonders.”

Nick Candy is the event’s recent treasurer. He is a property tycoon, the husband of former pop singer Holly Valance and until recently was a donor to the Tories.

Beverley Newman is here with her associate Eve Wilkinson. She agrees that Candy will be significant but adds that the event can raise a lot from the membership.

“Musk won’t make any difference to his [Farage’s] popularity,” says Kirshanda from West Sussex. “I thought he handled that beautifully. He wasn’t prepared to bend.”

Musk hasn’t explained his reasoning, but Farage said the pair had a disagreement because Musk wanted Reform to “arrive out strongly in back” of Tommy Robinson.

Robinson, whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon, is currently serving an 18-month prison sentence for contempt of court.

The former head of the far-correct English Defence League admitted in court to breaching an injunction against repeating claims about a Syrian refugee schoolboy after losing a 2021 libel case.

Farage left his former event UKIP in 2018 saying its association with Robinson had brought “scuffles” and “violence” to the event.

He has ruled out Robinson being allowed to join Reform UK.

event members at the occurrence at Sandown talk seriously about electoral achievement, and while many express sympathy for Robinson, they comprehend why he might be politically unpalatable.

“Whatever happens with Tommy, his heart is in the correct place but he will never be forgiven by the mainstream media,” says Kevin Burrell.

“Much as I admire what he’s doing I can comprehend why Reform don’t back him.

“If you complete up in a slanging match over that, you will complete up with the Tories or Labour.”

Jackie Collett says she doesn’t recognize “what is making Nigel dig is heels in” but adds that Robinson is a “loose canon”.

She says she is a realist and acknowledges that Reform might “disappear into the wilderness” but for now she says it is “the only event that gives me aspiration to leave out in the morning”.

As the evening progresses, information emerges about the 10 Reform UK councillors in Derbyshire who resigned, arguing the event was being run in an “increasingly autocratic manner” and had “lost its sense of path” since Farage took over.

Farage later told BBC Newsnight the throng were a “rogue branch” of the event who had not “passed vetting”.

The throng’s chief, Councillor Alex Stevenson, who was suspended as a member in December, and who stood for Reform UK in Amber Valley in the general election, did not deny that some of the candidates he put forward for local elections had not passed the event’s vetting procedure.

There is no mention of the resignations at the conference, instead members are invited to cheer two councillor defections from the Conservatives to Reform.

And there is little community sign of discontent with Farage, although one member whispers his unease.

Preferring not to be named, (“I don’t desire to be thrown out”) he says, “Farage doesn’t necessarily have what is needed”.

“He’s quite egotistical. Rupert Lowe would be my preference. He’s been challenging at work, asking questions in Parliament. Nigel isn’t around as much.”

On Robinson, he suggests Farage “shouldn’t be quite so critical”.

Rupert Lowe, the MP for Great Yarmouth, isn’t a household name but it is one that crops up unprompted throughout the evening.

Graham Croft-Smith expresses a little disappointment that Lowe isn’t speaking at the occurrence. “He’s a factual statesman,” he says.

Lowe is not there but some of the event’s other large names are, including MP and event founder Richard Tice and Chair Zia Yusuf.

Yusuf begins his talk by welcoming “all you fake Reform members” – a reference to Kemi Badenoch’s scepticism over the membership numbers.

London Assembly Member Alex Wilson asks how many in the spectators spent Boxing Day watching the event’s membership counter tick over.

“Yes!’ shouts a woman from the spectators.

Last month, a digital tracker on Reform’s website showed its membership numbers overtook the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservatives in 2024.

Reform UK was originally called the Brexit event but these days Brexit only gets a few mentions.

The large themes include opposition to net-zero policies, back for a national inquiry into grooming gangs, the economy and the feasible postponement of local elections in May.

More than half of the county councils due to have elections could inquire ministers to delay the ballots, following a major shake-up of local government.

Earlier this week, Deputy Prime Minister Angela Rayner said it would be “ludicrous” to hold elections for councils that were due to be reorganised.

However, the subject has infuriated Reform UK members, many of whom aspiration the May elections could view the event make electoral gains.

Blogger Liza Martin-Pope says it is why she decided to attend the conference this evening adding: “I’m missing my dancing for this.”

She argues that the potential delays amount to “removing access to local democracy for local people.”

“These authorities are running scared.”

Eve Wilkinson is similarly furious. “It’s disgusting, totally undemocratic, absolutely out of order. It incenses me,” she says.

Caroline Burford-Pugh, her husband Richard and their friends Charlotte and Matthew Lubbe have arrive to the occurrence together.

They are recent members, recent to politics and Caroline says she puts the chances of Farage being prime minister after the next election at 10 out of 10.

The event has prospered because of dissatisfaction with the Conservatives and disappointment with the early signs from Labour, says Luke Tryl from the research throng More In ordinary, with ratings up from around 15 to 20%. But a general election is years away.

Whether the event can leave from five MPs in 2024 to government remains to be seen, but whatever happens, it’s obvious there are event members still enthused by Reform’s propose.