The Rundown by PoliticsHome
Reform's revolt on the right
Published: 27 February 2026 at 05:00 Europe/London
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Episode notes
While Reform are still riding high in the polls and hoping for big successes across the UK in May’s elections, they now for the first time face a threat for the mantle of being the insurgent party on the right of British politics.
The launch of former Reform MP Rupert Lowe’s Restore Britain party, along with former Reform deputy leader Ben Habib’s Advance UK, both looking to be even more hardline on immigration and cultural issues - represent a challenge to Nigel Farage as he seeks to become the hegemonic force on the right, but also to appeal to more mainstream voters in the hope of putting together an election-winning coalition.
Joining host Alain Tolhurst to discuss whether Reform will distance themselves from the new parties on the right, or whether their very online base will drag them further towards them, are Sunder Katwala, director of the think tank British Future, Scarlett Maguire, founder of pollsters Merlin Strategies, Rob Ford, professor of political science at the University of Manchester, and Tom Scotson, political reporter here at PoliticsHome.
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Presented by Alain Tolhurst, produced by Nick Hilton and edited by Ewan Cameron for Podot
