Georgia Pearce
Guest Reporter
Richard Tice has boasted that Nigel Farage's plan is "already working" as a result of his letter to sitting Conservative councillors, asking them to defect to Reform UK.
In the letter, sent to nearly 1,500 councillors, Farage claimed that the Conservative Party is a "busted flush", and warned of the "risks" of remaining as a Tory member.
He added: "These 1,352 councillors are watching their time in office tick away, whilst they argue between themselves on whether to choose a leader that’s undergone a damascene political conversion and someone who won’t leave the ECHR."
Following the announcement, Reform UK have gained their first two elected politicians in Scotland - Mark Findlater and Laurie Carnie.
Epping Forest District Councillor Jaymey McIvor has also announced his defection to Reform.
Speaking to GB News, Reform UK's Deputy Leader Richard Tice hailed Farage for his call to the Tory councillors, boasting that the move is "already working".
Tice exclaimed: "It's already working - it's amazing, it's fantastic! We've got people from Essex to Scotland to the Midlands. Some have come over today, some are coming over in the next few days.
"The key word is lifeline. These are great people who are real Conservatives, who feel they've been completely and utterly abandoned by the wet, woke One Nation bunch. That is really the mainstream of the Conservative Party."
Pressing Tice on Reform's growing threat to the Conservatives, host Ben Leo questioned whether sitting MPs and councillors should "bother" defecting when leadership candidate Robert Jenrick is "promising to leave the ECHR", a policy held by Farage's party.
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Tice hit back: "If you follow the betting markets, Robert Jenrick has not got a Scooby-Doo of a chance. And look, you can't 'out-Farage' Nigel Farage. That is the key point.
"I think people have realised that you just can't trust the Tory leadership. They say one thing, and then actually consistently over years and years, election after election, have done just exactly the opposite."
Defending Farage's call for councillors to defect, Tice added: "Up and down the country, councillors are looking over their shoulder and they're saying, actually, I'm a real Conservative, I agree with Reform policies.
"It's time for me to show some courage and move on over."
Offering his predictions for Reform UK at the upcoming elections, Tice boasted that he expects "hundreds" of new seats to be gained within the party.
Tice concluded: "This is a precursor to the May elections next year, when we're going to be standing in thousands of seats across England. And we've got a cracking chance, I think we're going to win hundreds and hundreds of council seats.
"And it's just another significant step in the sort of growing momentum that Reform has."
GB News has obtained a copy of the full letter sent by Nigel Farage, which GB News Members can read here.
Find Out More...
In the letter, sent to nearly 1,500 councillors, Farage claimed that the Conservative Party is a "busted flush", and warned of the "risks" of remaining as a Tory member.
He added: "These 1,352 councillors are watching their time in office tick away, whilst they argue between themselves on whether to choose a leader that’s undergone a damascene political conversion and someone who won’t leave the ECHR."
Following the announcement, Reform UK have gained their first two elected politicians in Scotland - Mark Findlater and Laurie Carnie.
Epping Forest District Councillor Jaymey McIvor has also announced his defection to Reform.
Speaking to GB News, Reform UK's Deputy Leader Richard Tice hailed Farage for his call to the Tory councillors, boasting that the move is "already working".
Tice exclaimed: "It's already working - it's amazing, it's fantastic! We've got people from Essex to Scotland to the Midlands. Some have come over today, some are coming over in the next few days.
"The key word is lifeline. These are great people who are real Conservatives, who feel they've been completely and utterly abandoned by the wet, woke One Nation bunch. That is really the mainstream of the Conservative Party."
Pressing Tice on Reform's growing threat to the Conservatives, host Ben Leo questioned whether sitting MPs and councillors should "bother" defecting when leadership candidate Robert Jenrick is "promising to leave the ECHR", a policy held by Farage's party.
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Tice hit back: "If you follow the betting markets, Robert Jenrick has not got a Scooby-Doo of a chance. And look, you can't 'out-Farage' Nigel Farage. That is the key point.
"I think people have realised that you just can't trust the Tory leadership. They say one thing, and then actually consistently over years and years, election after election, have done just exactly the opposite."
Defending Farage's call for councillors to defect, Tice added: "Up and down the country, councillors are looking over their shoulder and they're saying, actually, I'm a real Conservative, I agree with Reform policies.
"It's time for me to show some courage and move on over."
Offering his predictions for Reform UK at the upcoming elections, Tice boasted that he expects "hundreds" of new seats to be gained within the party.
Tice concluded: "This is a precursor to the May elections next year, when we're going to be standing in thousands of seats across England. And we've got a cracking chance, I think we're going to win hundreds and hundreds of council seats.
"And it's just another significant step in the sort of growing momentum that Reform has."
GB News has obtained a copy of the full letter sent by Nigel Farage, which GB News Members can read here.
Find Out More...