Former Conservative Party chairman Sir Jake Berry has lambasted the Tories, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats for refusing to field candidates against Nigel Farage in the upcoming Clacton by-election, accusing them of showing less courage “than a bloke with a bin on his head.”
Berry slams main parties as 'frit'
Sir Jake, who defected to Reform UK a year ago, said the traditional parties are “frit” and that Mr Farage is “the only politician willing to break the mould and challenge the political establishment.” His comments come as a new Opinium poll suggests Reform’s vote share has fallen to its lowest since January 2025, with Mr Farage appearing “politically vulnerable” for the first time this parliament.
“I left the old parties because they had lost the courage to challenge a failing political system. Nigel and Reform have shown they are prepared to take risks, trust the British people and fight for real change,” Sir Jake said.
By-election triggered amid standards probe
Mr Farage triggered the Clacton by-election while under investigation by the standards commissioner over whether he failed to declare a £5 million donation from billionaire Christopher Harborne. The probe has been suspended pending the by-election, which is being boycotted by the Conservatives, Labour, and the Liberal Democrats.
“It takes real courage to do what Nigel has done. Rather than cling to his seat or hide behind political manoeuvring, he has put his faith in the people,” Sir Jake added. “It also exposes just how frit the Conservatives, Labour and the Lib Dems are. They’ve shown less courage than a bloke with a bin on his head by refusing to stand candidates.”
Poll shows Reform slipping
Opinium’s latest poll, conducted in early July, puts Reform on 24% (down 2 points), Labour on 19% (down 1), the Conservatives on 18% (down 1), the Greens on 16% (up 2), and the Liberal Democrats on 12% (up 1). Mr Farage’s net approval rating stands at -27, described by the pollster as “by a decent margin his lowest of this Parliament.” He scored -32 on trustworthiness, -26 on looking like a prime minister in waiting, and -24 on being trusted to take big decisions.
Opinium’s head of policy and public affairs research, James Crouch, said: “For the first time this Parliament, Nigel Farage looks politically vulnerable. Reform's vote share has fallen into the low 20s, his personal ratings have hit a new low, and the standards row appears to be taking a real toll. The question now is whether Labour or the Conservatives can capitalise.”
Donor influence concerns
The poll also found that 53% of respondents believe Reform is influenced by wealthy donors or powerful organisations, compared with 50% for the Conservatives and 49% for Labour. Sir Jake, however, dismissed such concerns, arguing that the establishment is trying to bring down Reform. “The Establishment has Reform and Nigel firmly in its sights and will stop at nothing to bring them down,” he said.
