A Reform UK councillor has accused Nigel Farage’s party of being disorganised and unprofessional, describing his decision to defect from the Conservatives as the “biggest mistake of my life”. Robbie Lammas, who represents the Princes Park ward on Medway Council, said he initially joined Reform because he believed it would become a professional alternative to the Tories, but now claims the reality has been “not what I signed up for”.
Allegations of Disorganisation and Racism
Lammas, who was first elected as a Conservative in 2021 and defected to Reform in October 2025, told GB News that the party lacked basic organisational competence. “Disorganisation. Lack of proper vetting of their local candidates. Not proper checking in terms of people’s opinions,” he said. He alleged that senior Reform figures had advised him to “just lie” when he publicly committed to a policy he could not follow through on, and described the party’s internal culture as “toxic, grievance-driven and unprofessional”. He also claimed that “ethnonationalist speeches at formal branch meetings and the conspiracy theories” were commonplace.
The councillor further alleged that he had experienced racism within the party. “I encountered episodes locally of racism, including against myself,” he said, adding: “Apparently, I’m less than because I’m a quarter Dutch now.” His claims add to a pattern of controversy surrounding Reform’s candidate vetting processes. The party has faced repeated criticism after reports that some candidates had made offensive or racist social media posts. In July 2025, Reform UK announced a new, less stringent “common sense” vetting system, encouraging those who had previously failed vetting to reapply — a move that critics said was “clearly not fit for purpose”. Nigel Farage, the party’s leader, has faced numerous allegations of racism and antisemitism over his career, which he has consistently denied.
Lammas said he quickly realised his move to Reform was a mistake, but remained in the party for months trying to improve matters. “Ever since then, I’ve stayed in the party for months and months and months, trying to make the best of it, trying to improve things and organise things locally on the ground,” he said. He stressed there were “good and bad in all parties” and praised some former Reform colleagues, but said he believes his defection was used by the party as a “good news story” for recruitment purposes.
Reform UK’s Response
A Reform UK spokesman rejected Lammas’s allegations outright. “We do not recognise these allegations put to us by Cllr Lammas,” the spokesman said. “This is an individual who realised he had no future in Reform UK after being rejected from a number of jobs within our headquarters and issued with a formal warning for his conduct.” The spokesman also highlighted Reform UK’s recent electoral successes, noting that the party now controls over 30 councils after “huge victories” in local government elections.
Lammas disputed the party’s account, insisting he was offered a job but turned it down. “I was actually offered a job but turned it down, which I think in hindsight was probably a good thing,” he said.
Return to Conservatism
Having resigned from Reform UK, Lammas now sits as an independent councillor and has expressed a desire to rejoin the Conservative Party. He said he has already apologised to Kemi Badenoch, the Conservative leader, for his defection. “I am a Conservative. I have always had Conservative beliefs,” he said. “I falsely believed that the Tory Party would never actually change. It’s a huge ask to change an institution like that after the worst defeat in its history. To Kemi’s credit, she’s actually gone and done it.”
Lammas credited Badenoch with shifting the party into the political space he had once believed Reform occupied, particularly on issues such as the European Convention on Human Rights. “She’s filled that vacuum that was left when she first took over. So she’s actually doing brilliantly,” he said. Badenoch has outlined plans to focus on stronger borders, a stronger economy, and fiscal responsibility, including policies such as abolishing Stamp Duty and business rates, and has also indicated a shift away from the net-zero target. Lammas said his main regret was failing to anticipate that the Conservative Party would undergo such a transformation under her leadership. He acknowledged that the Conservatives may not accept him back, but made clear his political alignment remains with them.
