Reform UK politicians

"We plan to introduce a period of creative destruction in the public services."

"Liberalism is the philosophy of the individual. Its ethic is liberty and its characteristic is autonomy — the freedom of the will from external constraint. It says "I shall...". Socialism is the philosophy of the state. Its ethic is equality and its characteristic is coercion — the power, in the last resort, to exert force over individuals and groups. It says "you must...". Conservatism is the philosophy of society. Its ethic is fraternity and its characteristic is authority — the non-coercive social persuasion which operates in a family or a community. It says "we should...""

"Where the Left imagine social justice to be the realization of certain abstract ideas — equality and emancipation — the Right see it as a system of naturally occurring and beneficial relationships. Social justice is the fulfilment of the individual's need for positive liberty through social membership."

"Nihilism has consumed left-liberalism from within, and now animates the corpse. Old socialist principles like the dignity of labour and the solidarity of the working class, and liberal principles like free speech, tolerance and the value of dissent, have given way to a new social justice orthodoxy which admits no dignity or solidarity and brooks no dissent. Yet because it occupies the life-like corpse of liberalism, the new orthodoxy attracts the usual bien-pensant progressives (including some calling themselves conservatives) who think they are still promoting a diverse and tolerant society."

"The penny is dropping among people in Westminster that the Government doesn’t run the Government. [...] There's a huge movement going on globally to create essentially a world government that will have power to dictate to national governments what they should do in anticipation of another pandemic."

"The Government should immediately announce an intention to do what is necessary to insist on our sovereignty. That means legislation to override the effect of the w:European Court of Human RightsEuropean court, of the ECHR itself and of other conventions including the Refugee Convention if necessary."

"[On the Reform Party] They think the obstacle to Conservatism is the Conservative Party. And I kind of get what they're saying. Because in many ways it is, we're not a very conservative party in lots of ways. But I don't agree with them. I think the answer to the Conservative Party's problems is to change the Conservative Party and to make it better, which is what we're trying to do. But I am sympathetic to their general critique. I don't really believe in them, I don't really like them to be honest. I don't think they stand for genuine conservative ideas, I think they're just a destructive force. I think it will be a tragedy if they did end up replacing us. But their general critique of what's wrong, I think, is mostly valid. And the people who are attracted to them, I understand why and we have to have major respect for them, not insult them."

"On Bonnie Blue I mean, listen, we'll take votes wherever we can get them. We know we want all the support we can get, quite like Bonnie Blue. But we, you know, we're not going to be fussy about that. But listen, I mean, you know I'm not going to be judgmental about people who want to vote Reform."

"[On extensive displays of UK and English flags in Home county villages] It reflects the fear and insecurity in society – but it's a legitimate fear and quite a noble statement by ordinary people who believe in their nation and want to proclaim it. The waving of a flag is a pacific way of asserting identity and belonging. Wherever the flag is planted, people – the majority of that community – stand for the values and traditional ideas of our nation. A country in crisis has to lean on its traditional symbols."

"[On flag displays being lifted from US practices] But remember America is British. [Edwardes frowns and asks for confirmation of what he means] Yeah, go on, definitely. Trump, JD [Vance], they all explicitly say, 'We derive our ideas – and certainly our political model and our political culture – from Britain.' And, 'What a shame you guys seem to have so little pride in your own country and your own model.' If you look back to the 18th and 19th century, we were pretty vulgar, too. There's a lot of flag-waving. So partly, Reform is just bringing it back."

"I think that socialism is in heaven. [...] The problem with socialists is they don't accept the fall of man. They try to create heaven on Earth with the assumption that if we somehow just got our institutions or culture right, we could be synonymous beings and all behave nicely to each other. [...] Heaven is a socialist state [...] The effort of socialists is to bring heaven on Earth, with the state in the position of God. That is not a good idea. That's because no state of human beings can be all good or all powerful."

"To me, it's ubiquitous. It's everywhere. It's unavoidable. I mean, I totally get the appeal. But I think it's a problem in our society, how ubiquitous pornography is."

"Marriage traditionally was the means by which sexual relations between men and women were regulated, and I think we are suffering from having a totally unregulated sexual economy. [...] I'm not interested in your love life, or anything about your personal life – that is your business. But I am interested in the framework in which you make your decisions, and I'd like the framework to be more pro-social. If you want – most people do want – to settle down with one person to have children, we should make that easier."

"Yes, we have a pronatalist ambition. We want people to have more children, and we think the government should get behind that wish."

"Clearly, Donald Trump is not wildly popular in the UK, and the fact that we have and Nigel [Farage] has a personal friendship with him, might not be advantageous. [...] On the other hand, I think it reflects well on Nigel that he's stood by Donald Trump, including when Trump was down, and that relationship is very, very useful, potentially, to the United Kingdom and to a Reform government. And let's not pretend otherwise: there is a clear affinity of worldview between the Maga movement and Reform."

"The US is a very different place. We don't want to mirror their politics. We don't want to follow everything that the current administration is doing in the UK, far from it. But the US and the Republicans are the best friends this country could have."

"[On a potential ministerial role in a Reform government] I might have screwed up by then. My normal trajectory is to do something catastrophic and blow myself up. So, let's see what I do next."

"As a right-winger and UKIP member, I believe in immigration. That sentence might sound slightly surprising coming from the General Secretary of a Party which is perceived by the media as anti-immigration. So let me explain. I reject uncontrolled immigration. I reject immigration beyond the ability of our country's infrastructure to cope. Recently, I’ve been listening to the Bruce Springsteen song "American Land". It starts off well enough, talking about people relocating to America as it grew and helping to build the country. That's the kind of immigration that I believe in. Those who believe that they can have a better life (in this case in the UK), who come over and are determined to see themselves as part of British culture and will put their heart and soul into improving this country for all of us. I'm talking about the kind of person who is proud to come to the United Kingdom and shows that pride at every opportunity. Such people are a real asset to the country. That's why I'm so angry at the 'left-wing' in British politics, which has consistently pursued an effective open-door immigration policy. Uncontrolled mass immigration doesn't provide any of those benefits, but instead creates huge cultural problems for us. Worse still, it creates resentment. In Sheffield, I see workers losing their jobs to immigrant workers. All that does is create resentment and fuels the kind of racism that we've painstakingly worked to get rid of from our nation."

"Brexit won't be easy, but it can be made to work for everyone. The first step in making Brexit a success is accepting it, and discussing the topic in a grown up and constructive manner. I'm sick of the constant nastiness and negativity; is there any wonder that people have such little trust in politicians when time is wasted on vicious personal attacks instead of trying to work together to get the best deal for everyone."

"The result was a historic achievement, the people have risen up against the establishment and said enough is enough. For the last 25 years UKIP and Nigel Farage have been leading the charge to get Britain out of the EU. We have been abused and ridiculed but we fought on regardless. UKIP will continue to go from strength to strength."

"Nationally the fight against the out of touch elite goes on. We have Boris Johnson calling for the government to hand out passports to illegal immigrants. We have Labour’s David Lammy asking MPs to reject the referendum result. We have Tories such as Dan Hannan MEP who is calling for the Brexit deal to include free movement. We have defeated the EU and now it’s time to rid Westminster of the establishment."

"I joined UKIP in 2003, when it was a party hardly anyone had heard of, but it was the start of an upward trend as we grew in importance and professionalism. In recent time I have watched the chaotic infighting and seen the growing frustration of members who feel their voices are once again being ignored as we embark on a new future for the United Kingdom. And it's this future I want to help shape by leading the party which had such a significant impact on the political scene in this country, under the leadership of Nigel Farage. My message is clear: I'm offering a real alternative to the other options of EDL-lite or diet Labour."

"I expect better from Catholic bishops. They need to understand that Ukip and the Catholic Church have so much in common. I cannot think of anyone who is a bishop or a priest who would not have the same values for people as we do."

"I am delighted to be named the first UKIP spokesman for Women and Equalities. These important issues need to be promoted without patronising tokenism, virtue-signalling and political correctness."

"Clear and decisive leadership is crucial and we shall deliver it. It is urgent that we work on projecting our party firmly and decisively with the purpose of securing our nation’s interests through Brexit and beyond."

"[On nuisance council tenants] People say, "They have got to live somewhere". That’s right, so my plan would be — and again, this is just my own personal opinion — that these people, who have to live somewhere, let’s have them in a tent, in the middle of a field. Six o’clock every morning, let’s have them up. Let’s have them in the field, picking potatoes or any other seasonal vegetables, back in the tent, cold shower, lights out, six o’clock, same again the next day. That would be my solution."

"[M]ake out you know who I am, that you know I'm the candidate but not that you are a friend."

"All throughout my time in the Labour Party, every meeting I went to, I always had my rant [...] They always used to say: "Why don’t you go and join the Tory party?" This went on for years. And then I did."

"The Tory party's picked me for a reason: I'm an ex-miner in a mining town [...] I campaigned to Leave. They know my history. It's easier for somebody to vote for me if they see me as one of them. It probably makes it acceptable to vote Tory if it's an ex-pitman – rather than some posh Tory boy."

"For the first time in my life I will not be watching my beloved England team whilst they are supporting a political movement whose core principles aim to undermine our very way of life."

"I would be in favour of [using] the Falkland Islands. The only way we will put these people off is by giving them the message that if you come here you are going to be sent 8,000 miles away."

"There should be no place in politics for MPs to make financial gain from private companies in return for lobbying. We are paid handsomely for the job we do and if you need an extra £100,000 a year on top then you should really be looking for another job."

"What we do at the food bank, we show them how to cook cheap and nutritious meals on a budget [...] We can make a meal for about 30 pence a day, and this is cooking from scratch."

"[Asked by a Labour MP if food banks should be necessary in Britain.] I think you’ll see first-hand that there's not this massive use for food banks in this country. We’ve got generation after generation that cannot cook properly, they can't cook a meal from scratch, they cannot budget, the challenge is there. Come to Ashfield, come to a real food bank that's making a real difference to people’s lives."

"[Responding to criticism following his comments about food banks] The last cooking session we did, which we publicised - where we had four MPs here - we made I think 180 meals for fifty quid, which is 30p each. So there's the real proof, so if people want to come here and have a go and we can teach them then surely they will stand back and say we can cook on a budget and thank you for doing it."

"I've got a big bee in my bonnet about food poverty. I'm a big believer that we do need food banks, but not to the degree we've got them. Every do gooder is starting these little projects to make themselves feel good."

"We've got the gutter press lurking around every corner trying to cause problems. [...] We had Brexit, we had Boris, we had Jeremy Corbyn, that was three years ago, now it is a different ball game under Theresa May."

"[On the possibility comedian Eddie Izzard, who identifies as transgender, might be elected to parliament.] Is that what's coming to parliament? I think it opens a whole new debate, mate. I’m going to be honest now, controversial as always, if he does get elected and I’m still here, I shouldn't be following him into the toilets."

"[On a clash with anti-Brexit protester, Steve Bray.] He had a go at my weight. This is a man who was quite clearly out of condition. I'm trying to do something about it, but here is a challenge [...] He is a nuisance. And I've got a challenge for him: Meet me in the boxing ring. Let's do three rounds. And if I win, he never protests out there again. And if he wins, I'll go and protest with him."

"This week I’ve been called lard a--- pot belly MP. I've been called a fat b------ all over Twitter. Most of them are hidden profiles, keyboard cowards. I used to watch Popeye as a kid. Every time he had his tin of spinach, he got stronger and that's what it is like for me every time I got one of these horrible comments. My haters are my motivators."

"[After another Conservative MP predicted losses at the May local elections and the next general election] It's like the band on the Titanic. Playing the same tune and ignoring the obvious."

"Nobody has ever committed a crime after being executed. You know that, don't you? 100 per cent success rate. [...] Now, I'd be very careful on that one because you’ll get certain groups saying: "You can never prove it." Well, you can prove it if they have videoed it and are on camera – like the Lee Rigby killers. I mean, they should have gone, same week. I don’t want to pay for these people."

"[Anderson said he was informed on a visit to Calais the migrants there were referring to the UK as El Dorado.] They are seeing a country where the streets are paved with gold – where, once you land, they are not in that manky little f------ scruffy tent [...] They are going to be in a four-star hotel. And they know that Serco is buying up houses everywhere to put them in for the next five years. Why wouldn't you come? For some reason, in this place, saying the obvious – they just call it populist. It's our job to represent opinions of people in our country. If people are angry about small boats, then we should be angry."

"[Asked about a resolution] I'd send them straight back the same day. I'd put them on a Royal Navy frigate or whatever and sail it to Calais, have a standoff. And they'd just stop coming."

"[On being told a 11 minute BBC interview could not be broadcast in full.] I’m asking you now not to play it. I can’t trust you to play the whole lot and be fair to me. We’re supposed to be talking about my role as a chairman. Listen, listen! We’re supposed to be talking about my role as deputy chairman, not the other stuff. You went off on a tangent … So don’t play it please. If you do, I will never give you anything again."

"Hold on grandad, come outside and we'll sort it out."

"'Not My King?' If you do not wish to live in a country that has a monarchy, the solution is not to turn up with your silly boards. The solution is to emigrate."

"Look, we are a great country. We are a gift to the world. We are now an independent, trading, sovereign nation, a gift to the world. I keep saying this to anybody that will listen."

"Look at the things we've done in the past. We've given railways, we've given technology, the Industrial Revolution, arts, culture, Dickens, Shakespeare, sports. Look at, you know, football, tennis, rugby, golf – everything that's good in this world started on this great island of ours."

"[On Tim Davie, BBC director-general at the time, who advocated for diversity in recruitment] I wrote to him and pointed out that since the BBC started having director-generals in 1927, they've all been white. I asked, why don't you resign and give the job to a black person? He never responded."

"[On people in high positions] They've gone woke, haven't they? They're hypocrites. They want things to be done but they want somebody else to do it. People are saying that I'm stoking the culture wars. Well, I'm not. I'm just fighting back. I'm just saying, shut up."

"[The BBC is] a safe haven for perverts."

"In just a few months time, young men and young women from all over the country will be going to university, a place of learning. They're going to have a good time, they're going to work hard and hopefully get better careers. But in the meantime, in our universities there are a certain group of people who are trying to influence and indoctrinate our young people."

"[Ten years ago (presumably in 2013), his son began studies at the University of Sheffield] I didn't see him for months, he came back different. He had long hair, he had a beard. His clothes were different, a different attitude and outlook on life. I thought – "my goodness, Harry, what's happened to you." He sat down with me on the settee, he put his arm on my hand and he says: "Dad, I've been away for a few months now and I've come back and I'm not the Harry that went away all those months ago. I'm different now, I'm a different person.""

"[Anderson said his son had become a vegetarian] Shocking, absolutely shocking. Let that be a warning to you"

"If they don't like barges then they should f*** off back to France."

"These people come across the Channel in small boats ... if they don't like the conditions they are housed in here then they should go back to France, or better not come at all in the first place."

"I have had loads, yeah... 55 in one day."

"My take is we should just put the planes in the air now and send them to Rwanda and show strength."

"I think we should ignore the laws and send them straight back the same day."

"[After recalling his suggestion to Boris Johnson around 2021] But I don't think it's fair on the Falkland Islands to be honest; they don’t want these illegal migrants going down there. There's a better option: we can keep them on British soil, if you like. We've got the Orkneys or some remote Scottish island. I know it's a bit parky [cold] up there this time of year. But if people are genuinely escaping war or persecution then a nice Scottish island with a few outbuildings would be suitable. This is a beautiful country. Parts of Scotland are a 'go to' destination, the remote islands – I'd like to be able to afford a place up there. If we can get some accommodation up there, keep these people safe – these people want to be safe, they're fleeing so-called persecution from these war-torn countries. If we can find an island in the Orkneys or up there that's got no one on there to start off with, put some decent accommodation on, then it's job done."

"Now there is — we're not taping this, are we? [laughter] — there is a political party that begins with an R that offered me a lot of money to join them. I say a lot of money, I mean a lot of money. ... And I wouldn't join them, OK, because we've a got by-election in Mid-Beds next week. Reform have got a candidate."

"I think he needs to pipe down a little bit because if the unthinkable happens and next year, we do get a Labour government and Richard Tice is on his media platforms saying what a disaster 'Starmergeddon' and what a disaster the Labour Party are, I shall be reminding Mr Tice it was him that helped them get elected."

"I was going to vote no. I went into the no lobby to vote no, because I couldn't see how I could support the bill after backing all the amendments. I got into the no lobby and I spent about two or three minutes with a colleague in there. The Labour lot were giggling and laughing and taking the mick and I couldn't do it: In my heart of hearts, I couldn't vote no. So I walked out and abstained."

"[I]t was them that gave me the job [...] It was them that financially backed me, it's them that's protected me, it's them that's given me a political home [...] So why would I knife them in the back?"

"I don't actually believe that the Islamists have got control of our country, but what I do believe is they've got control of [[Sadiq Khan|[Sadiq] Khan]], and they've got control of London."

"He's actually given our capital city away to his mates"

"If you are wrong, apologising is not a sign of weakness but a sign of strength. But when you think you are right you should never apologise because to do so would be a sign of weakness."

"There's not been a turning point. We all know that sometimes politicians are about as trustworthy as journalists in what they say and do."

"Anderson thinks he understands Britain, and in some ways he does. But what he's missed is our saddest trait: feeling ashamed to ask for help. Hardly anyone is going to a food bank as a jolly, and when there are now more food banks in the UK than branches of McDonald's, it's clear where the demand really is in Britain today."

"The official Tory line on Anderson is that if what he says upsets you, then you're a snob or out of touch. That's an interesting way to describe a significant number of Conservative voters, plus a prime minister immediately forced to clarify that actually he doesn't agree with Lee about the death penalty."