Nigel Farage‘s constituents have outlined the challenges Reform UK’s leader faces with the man he replaced as Clacton candidate pinpointing one major problem the MP faces.
Tony Mack stood as an independent in the general election after Mr Farage replaced him as Reform’s Clacton candidate and went on to win the seat with 46.2 percent of the vote on a 58 percent turnout.
Mr Mack told Express.co.uk: “Clacton has been crying out for an accountable MP for a long, long time. The problem Nigel Farage faces is where he is now the leader of a party, he is not going to be very available as a constituency MP.”
Mr Farage replaced Richard Tice as Reform’s leader in June, prompting a huge increase in support for the party ahead of the July 4 vote. He now represents an Essex constituency which is centred on Clacton-on-Sea but which extends to other seaside resorts as well as a rural hinterland.
Clacton-on-Sea resident Tom McCullough, 74, said the resort faces similar problems to others in the UK but claimed Mr Farage won’t do anything for the Essex town.
The lifelong Labour voter said: “It’s very right wing here. He won’t do anything. They’ll be lucky if they see him. He’s into this to further his own ends. He is someone who is all for himself, a narcissist.”
Pensioner Fran, 75, who wouldn’t give her surname, asked: “Where is he? I’ve not seen him since the election. He promised to sort out the boats coming. He needs to get his act together else we’ll be onto him.”
Fellow Clacton-on-Sea resident Helen Morgan, 42, said she was there when Mr Farage had a milkshake thrown over him as he emerged from a pub during his election campaign launch.
She said: “That was terrible. I think he’s OK. We hope he will be good for Clacton. I would challenge him to stop the crime, stop people stealing and pickpocketing. We don’t want any of that.”
Rob Morgan, a Conservative councillor at Frinton and Walton Town Council, said he wished Mr Farage every success in the constituency, but urged Reform’s leader to distance himself from some of his less agreeable followers.
He said: “I’ve a soft spot for Nigel Farage because I’m a Brexiteer. The only thing that concerns me about him is the entourage that follows him around. It’s a bit worrying how they campaigned. A lot of (Conservative candidate) Giles Watling’s posters were defaced (in the general election campaign).
“Nigel Farage wouldn’t do that, but some of his followers would. He’s our MP and we have to give him a chance. He says he’s going to do his best for Clacton. If he does that, there’s no more we can ask.”
Mr Morgan added that with a wide appeal and with the right policies Mr Farage will be successful in building Reform as a party.
That will include honouring a pledge to democratise the party, which is registered as a company of which, according to Mr Mack, Reform’s leader has a majority share.
He cast doubt on Reform’s ability to democratise after party chairman Zia Yusuf confirmed the company is working on a formal constitution, which if it materialises will allow members to remove Mr Farage as leader.
Reform UK was registered with Companies House in 2018. Mr Farage owns 53 percent of its shares while his deputy Mr Tice owns 33 percent.
Mr Yusuf this week told GB News the current structure would change, pointing to previous pledges from Mr Farage and Mr Tice that such a change would be made.
Mr Mack said: “You can’t have a serious party of government that’s not democratic. Reform will be a democracy in name only. Reform UK is Nigel Farage Incorporated.”
He added: “It’s dangerous for one man to have that much power over a party because there’s no democratic consensus. They’re in a Catch 22 situation.
“They had 4.1 million people vote for them, membership has increased exponentially. When (members) realise that that gets them no say about the party’s direction, leadership or structure there will be a backlash.”
Mr Farage and Reform UK have been approached for comment.
