LONDON: The populist Reform UK party, led by Nigel Farage, announced on Dec 26 that its membership has surpassed that of the Conservative Party. A counter on the Reform UK website displayed over 133,000 members, exceeding the 131,680 Tory members eligible to vote during the Conservative leadership election in November 2024, which saw Kemi Badenoch become party leader.
“This is a big, historic moment,” Farage declared in an emailed statement. “Reform UK are now the real opposition.”
The figures provided by Reform UK have not been independently verified, nor have updated Conservative membership numbers been confirmed.
Reform UK gained momentum in 2024, securing 14.3% of the national vote in the general election that ended 14 years of Conservative rule. The party’s rise has been bolstered by public discontent with Prime Minister Keir Starmer’s Labour administration and endorsements from high-profile figures, including Tesla CEO Elon Musk.
Farage, now a favorite among bookmakers to succeed Starmer as prime minister, reportedly met Musk at Donald Trump’s Mar-a-Lago resort earlier this month and discussed potential political donations. Such funding from Musk could disrupt the traditional dominance of Labour and the Conservatives in British politics. Badenoch downplayed the potential impact of Musk’s support for Farage, stating it could prove “counterproductive” with British voters.