The Conservative Party must stop “obsessing” over Reform UK and instead focus on winning back disillusioned voters, former home secretary Sir James Cleverly has warned.
In an interview set to be broadcast on GB News this Sunday, Sir James made a pointed intervention in the ongoing Tory debate about how to respond to the rise of Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, which has been siphoning support from traditional Conservative strongholds ahead of the May local elections.
Sir James told interviewer Gloria De Piero: “The question we ask ourselves is, does Reform exist because of other things that have happened? And my contention is that it does. So, if we address the reasons why people are going to Reform, you don’t then need to address Reform.”
His comments come as party frontbenchers continue to grapple with internal divisions over how best to confront the growing challenge posed by Reform. While Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has firmly ruled out any sort of national coalition with Farage’s party, she has left open the possibility of local-level co-operation. Shadow justice secretary Robert Jenrick, meanwhile, has expressed a desire to form a “coalition of voters” rather than parties, suggesting the need to court Reform-leaning constituents.
Farage, however, has repeatedly dismissed the idea of a deal with the Conservatives, stating that his supporters would be “revolted” by such a prospect — a sentiment that has complicated Tory efforts to unify the right.
Sir James, who served as home secretary until last year and remains a significant voice within the party, argued that attempting to match Reform policy-for-policy would be a mistake.
“This, I think, is what we need to do,” he said. “If you address those things, you don’t then need to play whack-a-mole with policies that Reform might put forward.”
He also voiced concern over the alienation of key demographic groups — particularly young men — who have become increasingly disengaged with traditional politics. “Why do we not have answers to their questions? Why do we not seemingly have a way of giving them the opportunity they feel they need?” he asked.
While he did not claim to have all the answers, he emphasised that a period in opposition should be used for reflection and renewal. “This is what a period in opposition is about,” he said. “Getting back to our roots, reconnecting with people.”
Sir James drew comparisons to other “mature democracies” where fringe and populist parties have made gains, such as Germany, where the far-right AfD has surged in support. “There is a bigger issue than just Nigel Farage and one party,” he warned. “And if we make the mistake of obsessing about him and the one party, we will fail to address the underlying issues that are causing that disenchantment.”
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Turning to his own political future, Sir James notably declined to rule out a second run for the Conservative leadership. He had been widely tipped to reach the final two of last year’s leadership race after topping the penultimate MPs’ ballot, but narrowly missed out, leaving Badenoch and Jenrick to contest the final stage.
Reflecting on his current circumstances, Sir James joked: “I’m making the most of the fact that I no longer wake up in the morning, put on my glasses, fumble through my phone and check to see what messages have come in from my private office overnight.”
However, he added with a glint of ambition: “Never say never again. I don’t rule anything in, don’t rule anything out.”
As the Conservatives face growing pressure from the right and a rapidly shifting political landscape, Cleverly’s remarks are likely to resonate with many within the party who fear that a short-term focus on Reform risks missing the deeper, systemic issues that have eroded Tory support in recent years.
