A councillor who abandoned the Conservatives for Reform UK has now walked away from the party, branding them 'unfit to govern' and riddled with 'toxic infighting.'
Robbie Lammas, the former deputy leader of Reform UK on Medway Council in Kent, has stepped down from his new position after just eight months. He had jumped ship from the Tories to Nigel Farage's party but has now confessed he made 'the biggest mistake of his life' and said he 'felt misled.'
Cllr Lammas described Reform as 'unserious, unprepared and unfit to govern' and said the infighting taking place made 'Tory spats look like playground arguments.'
He will now serve as an independent on the council but says he hopes to ultimately return to the Tories.
'I made a huge mistake leaving the Conservatives last year. I was wrong and I apologise,' he said. 'Many in Reform hate conservatives. The infighting in Reform is toxic and make past Tory spats look like playground arguments. That is because despite disagreements, the Conservatives are fundamentally united by shared values – like a family. Reform are united by grievance alone. Whilst speaking to grievance is part of politics, good governance depends on those willing to serve in the public interest to fix the problems, not just spin them. Reform are unserious, unprepared and unfit to govern.'
Cllr Lammas was initially elected to Medway Council in 2021 before switching to Reform last year. During that period, he served as a Special Adviser to the Chairman of the Conservative Party. He has since offered an apology to Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch, acknowledging that his defection to Reform UK came as a significant blow to many of his former colleagues.
'I joined Reform on the basis that they are a party that welcomes those aligned with conservative values. I now know this is not true,' he added. 'I have written to Kemi Badenoch to apologise for my mistake and to recognise the significant progress she has made turning the Conservative Party around. Whilst there is more to be done, the Conservative Party is now changing - it is becoming conservative again.'
A Reform UK spokesman said: 'Cllr Lammas was previously suspended whilst being investigated for his conduct, resulting in a formal warning. He also applied for a job within the party and was subsequently rejected. Reform delivered huge victories across the UK in our recent local government elections, now controlling over 30 councils. We look forward to successful elections in Medway soon.'
