State of the Right #14: Reform's Next Steps

PLUS: How insiders are feeling about Burnham, and Zia Yusuf in trouble?

Good afternoon,

It’s been a few weeks now since the Makerfield by-election, which returned Andy Burnham to Westminster (if only on a part-time basis) and cleared the path for his succession to the Premiership. Whilst that result was primarily a victory for Burnham and a defeat for Keir Starmer, it has nevertheless caused some re-evaluation — and, to some extent, recriminations — within Reform, and not entirely unreasonably.

Makerfield is a seat that Reform will need to win at the next general election — which could now come sooner than previously anticipated, although we think many commentators are vastly overstating the likelihood thereof — if it is to form a government. Even if the by-election result does not tell us much about the public’s view of the party, now is the right time to take stock and consider what comes next.

Today, we’ll look at how Reform is responding to recent events, and check in with the ongoing buildout in HQ.