Reform’s Andrea Jenkyns: We don’t want any more Tories

Reform UK Mayor Andrea Jenkyns has said that former Conservatives in her party must put their differences aside, but played down reports of deep divisions in the senior ranks. In an interview with The i Paper, the Greater Lincolnshire Mayor, an ex-Conservative MP herself, also said it was right that Nigel Farage would not admit any more Tories into Reform. Jenkyns backed Zia Yusuf, the party’s home affairs spokesman, whose combative style has sparked tensions, saying his prominent role at Reform’s conference in Birmingham in the coming days was proof he remained firmly at the heart of the party. Shorts Her remarks come after Tim Montgomerie, the political commentator, was suspended from Reform following public criticism of Yusuf. He had accused Yusuf of behaving “like a child” and questioned the way the party was being run. Jenkyns dismissed the row as a “storm in a teacup” and accused the media of “trying to create a drift”. “Zia is on the main stage speaking. He is very popular among members, and I’ve got huge respect for Zia,” she said. “I’m certainly [in] his wing of the party with a lot of my policies.” Jenkyns acknowledged that Reform now contains politicians from a range of right-wing traditions, after the party attracted a number of former Conservatives following the 2024 general election. This includes ex-Tory cabinet ministers Nadhim Zahawi, Nadine Dorries and Robert Jenrick. “There was a wide spectrum in the Conservative Party. They’re here now,” she said. The priority, she argued, was for the enlarged party to remain focused on its core principles. “And I think the most important thing is that we ensure that we are true to our Reform values, which is putting our country and our people first,” Jenkyns added. She also backed the decision to stop recruiting further Conservative MPs and councillors. Farage introduced a moratorium on former Tories defecting to Reform after the local elections in May. “I think that was right, absolutely,” she said. Commenting on Kemi Badenoch’s newly reshuffled Shadow Cabinet, which was intended to put the party on an election footing and hopefully move the polls back in her direction, Jenkyns said of the Tory leader: “Kemi is a nice enough person, but do I respect her as leader? No. She’s one of the reasons I left the party. A lot of stuff is being stage managed, I understand by [Tory] headquarters, so it’s very easy to perform at your best when it’s like that.” Jenkyns’ intervention comes after a difficult summer for Reform, with the party facing questions over internal tensions, scrutiny of Farage’s £5m gift from cryptocurrency businessman Christopher Harborne and the fallout from the leader’s decision to resign his Clacton seat and immediately fight a by-election to win it back. Farage won the August contest with 63.3 per cent of the vote, but the move did little to end the controversy surrounding the payment. A parliamentary standards inquiry into whether the money should have been declared continues to hang over him. He initially said the money was a personal gift and intended to pay for his security, but later described it as a reward for his campaigning for Brexit. Jenkyns said she had known Farage since the Brexit years and believed concern for the safety and privacy of his family was a significant factor in his decision. “He’s very protective of his family,” she said. The latest BMG poll for The i Paper last weekend put Labour on 27 per cent, four points ahead of Reform on 23 per cent, with the Conservatives trailing on 18 per cent. Reform had enjoyed a sustained lead over Labour for much of the previous year, but the gap has narrowed sharply since Andy Burnham became Labour leader and Prime Minister. A More in Common poll released on Tuesday had the Conservatives on 23 per cent, one point ahead of Reform on 22 per cent, with Labour in first place on 26 per cent. 🆕Back to school voting intention. Tories edge into second as Labour leads by 3.🌹 LAB 26% (-1)🌳 CON 23% (+1) ⏩ REF 22% (-1) 🔶 LIB DEM 11% (+1) 🟢 GREEN 9% (-) ⚫ RES: 4% (-) 🟡 SNP 3% (+1)N = 3,250 | Fieldwork 28 -31/8 | Changes w 23/8 pic.twitter.com/ddcVS1QrES— Luke Tryl (@LukeTryl) September 1, 2026 Jenkyns, however, believes the shifting polls are less a sign of a settled political realignment than voter exhaustion. She also rejected the idea that Reform’s recent polling performance represented a permanent political shift. “I think this is electoral fatigue, to be honest,” she said. “It’s been quite a difficult year for this country, hasn’t it?” She argued that people struggling with the pressures of everyday life were increasingly concentrating on their families rather than politics. “I think people are switching off to concentrate on getting through life,” she said. For Jenkyns herself, the route back to Westminster is not part of the plan. Having lost her Conservative seat at the 2024 general election, she was elected as Reform’s first mayor of Greater Lincolnshire in May 2025. She said she preferred the mayoralty and could not see herself “doing an Andy Burnham” and returning to Parliament. “I can’t see myself ever going back to Westminster,” she said. Jenkyns said Reform’s challenge was now to turn its growing coalition into a coherent political force.