If you thought Donald Trump waggling his heft around to gay anthem YMCA was distasteful enough, you wait until you see Nigel Farage copying what daddy did first. It all went down at Reform UK's fundraiser, bringing together the most rag-tag collection of non-entities ever to gather in one room, where over a million pounds was raised. The event took place at Oswald's, an exclusive private members' club in Mayfair, where attendees reportedly paid up to £25,000 for a ticket. And yet they still moan about having to pay inheritance tax!
The event attracted a mix of right-wing celebrities and prominent figures, including Holly Candy, a former rather risible singer and actress known for her role in the long-running television show Neighbours, and her husband Nick Candy, who serves as Reform’s treasurer and who celebrated bagging big bucks from Elon Musk before that money was whisked swiftly away. Among the other attendees were television presenter Ant Middleton, professional boxer Derek Chisora, and socialite and general non-entity about town, Lady Victoria Hervey.
According to reports, the gathering also included several former high-profile Conservative Party donors, such as Bassim Haidar and Mohammed Amersi. Farage addressed the crowd about the party's preparations for the upcoming local elections in May, stating, "If you give us the ammunition we will do incredibly well," as noted by the Times. Following the formal dinner, the festivities continued into the early hours at a different private members' club, concluding around 3am. One can only imagine!
The presence of ex-Tory donors at the event prompted responses from the Conservatives. A spokesman for the new party leader Kemi Badenoch confirmed that the party is in active pursuit of "new donors" to support their financial recovery ahead of the 2025 local elections. It was stated that Badenoch is continually working to bring back donors to the party. The spokesman noted, "Let's see, donors get to decide where they put their money and Kemi is making the case."
In the political landscape, recent polling data from YouGov highlights a significant challenge for the Conservative Party, revealing that a third of its remaining supporters are contemplating a shift to Reform UK during the next election. While the Conservatives faced a severe setback in the recent General Election, maintaining only 121 seats, polling indicates that 33 per cent of their loyalists may support Farage's party next time around. This sentiment contrasts sharply with the nine per cent of Labour supporters and eight per cent of Liberal Democrats who are considering switching allegiance.
Source: Noah Wire Services