Property tycoon Nick Sweet joins Reform UK in newest Tory defection

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Property tycoon Nick Sweet has left the Conservative Occasion to develop into treasurer of Nigel Farage's Reform UK celebration, the newest high-profile defection to the right-wing populist celebration because it rises in opinion polls.

Sweet, who has donated greater than £300,000 to the Tories, stated he would give a “seven-figure quantity” to Reformsince he promised to boost “tens of hundreds of thousands” for the rebel celebration.

“I wouldn't do that if I didn't imagine in it 100% [Farage] was going to be the subsequent prime minister,” he stated on Tuesday.

This resolution follows latest defections, notably these of Tim Montgomerie, the extensively adopted founding father of the Conservative Dwelling information web site, and Andrea Jenkyns, a former Conservative MP. Jenkyns will even be the Reform candidate for Lincolnshire mayor.

A ballot final week by Discover Out Now indicated that 24 % of the inhabitants supported Farage's celebration, surpassing the 23 % who supported the ruling Labor Occasion and the 26 % who supported the Conservatives.

Different latest surveys by JL Companions and Extra in Widespread confirmed Labor nonetheless had a big lead over Reform UK.

Sweet, 51, is married to actress and singer Holly Vallance, who’s a distinguished Reform UK supporter. He promised to boost “the best quantity ever within the UK”, saying “we now have already acquired hundreds of thousands this morning”.

Studies final week instructed that Elon Musk was making ready to make a considerable donation to Reform UK, which might attain $100 million, one thing the billionaire Trump's adviser has since denied.

Musk commented on Sweet's defection on Tuesday, calling it “fascinating.” He beforehand endorsed feedback on social media web site X predicting Farage can be the subsequent Prime Minister of the UK.

Farage stated on Tuesday that “we don't know something about Elon Musk apart from that he helps our place”, whereas including: “If individuals supply us cash legally, we’ll settle for it. »

The populist celebration now has greater than 100,000 members, in comparison with Labor's round 370,000.

Reform UK gained 5 seats within the July election, all of which had been gained by the Conservatives. It got here second with 98 seats, 89 of which had been gained by Labor.

Farage stated final month that he believed extra future votes “would come from Labor on this place than from the Conservatives”, including that there was a “realignment of how voters understand the outdated left-right spectrum “.

Farage stated he was decided to form his celebration within the type of the Liberal Democrats led by former chief Paddy Ashdown, doggedly in search of seats on district and county councils to construct native momentum in goal areas of the UK.