By Ben Kerrigan-
A senior local politician who defected from the Conservative Party to Reform UK has launched a scathing attack on Nigel Farage’s party, declaring it “unfit to govern” and describing his decision to join it as “the biggest mistake of my life.”
Robbie Lammas,(pictured) the former deputy leader of Reform UK on Medway Council, has dramatically severed ties with the party just eight months after his highly publicised defection, claiming he was “misled” about its future direction and capabilities. Now sitting as an Independent councillor, Lammas says he hopes to return to the Conservative Party and has already written to party leader Kemi Badenoch to apologise for leaving. His remarks represent one of the most significant public criticisms of Reform UK from a former senior member since the party’s breakthrough success in local elections earlier this year. They also come at a sensitive time for Reform, which is attempting to consolidate its growing influence in local government while facing questions over councillor resignations, internal discipline and its ability to convert electoral success into effective administration.
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Speaking about his departure, Lammas said he had reached a point where he could no longer support the organisation he joined with considerable optimism less than a year ago.
“I’m going to leave Reform, I’ve had enough, it’s not what I signed up to, and I feel I’ve been misled,” he said. Reflecting on his decision to defect from the Conservatives, he added: “I’ve realised I’ve made probably the biggest mistake of my life.”
The comments mark a remarkable reversal for a politician who only months ago had publicly declared that the Conservative Party was “over” and that Reform UK represented the future of the British right. At the time of his defection in October 2025, Lammas joined a growing number of local politicians attracted by Reform’s rising popularity and its promise to reshape British politics. Now, however, he says his assessment of both parties has fundamentally changed.
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Explaining why he left the Conservatives, Lammas said he had become frustrated by what he saw as a lack of direction and policy clarity from the party during a difficult period following its electoral setbacks. In particular, he pointed to concerns over the party’s failure at the time to set out a clear position on issues such as the European Convention on Human Rights.
“I left the party I love because I thought the party was over,” he said. “This was back last year when the Conservatives were not announcing any policy. They had not yet committed to leaving the ECHR.”
But he believes the situation has since altered significantly under Badenoch’s leadership.
“Kemi has turned it around,” he said, suggesting that the Conservatives have regained political momentum and ideological clarity in a way that convinced him he had made the wrong choice in abandoning the party.
While Lammas acknowledged Reform UK’s strengths as a campaigning organisation, he argued that the party lacks the administrative competence required to run councils or government effectively. His criticism cuts to the heart of a debate increasingly surrounding Reform’s rapid rise: whether it can successfully transition from a protest movement into a governing force.
According to Lammas, Reform excels at attracting attention and generating headlines but struggles when faced with the practical realities of public administration.
“They’re good at spin,” he said, “but they struggle with good governance.”
The former deputy leader also suggested he had been used by the party as part of a broader public relations strategy when he defected. He claimed he was encouraged to believe that a wave of prominent figures, including Members of Parliament, would soon be joining Reform and that his move would be only one among many.
“I was told at the time there would be lots of people coming over,” he said. “There would be one or two MPs. I would sort of slip in quietly. I did not want to go for a fanfare.”
Instead, Lammas found himself becoming a prominent symbol of Reform’s expansion efforts. Looking back, he now expresses regret over the decision and says he feels embarrassed by the role he played in promoting the party’s narrative of unstoppable growth.
“I am embarrassed about it. It was a huge mistake,” he admitted.
Perhaps more significantly, Lammas claimed that other individuals who defected to Reform share similar concerns but are reluctant to speak publicly.
“Lots of others from Reform have told me they too feel it was a mistake to defect, but they’re not in a position to publicly admit it,” he said. “For me, I’m happy to admit I’ve made a big mistake.”
His allegations are likely to intensify scrutiny of Reform UK’s internal culture and recruitment strategy, particularly as the party seeks to build on the gains it achieved in local elections across England.
Reform, however, has strongly pushed back against Lammas’s criticisms. A party spokesperson dismissed his claims and pointed to disciplinary issues during his time within the organisation.
According to the spokesperson, Lammas had previously been suspended while under investigation regarding his conduct and had received a formal warning. The party also stated that he had applied for employment within Reform and was unsuccessful.
The spokesperson 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 also sought to shift attention towards its recent electoral achievements, arguing that the party’s growing presence in local government demonstrates public confidence in its agenda.
“Reform delivered huge victories across the UK in our recent local government elections, now controlling over 30 councils,” the spokesperson added. “We look forward to successful elections in Medway soon.”
Despite those successes, Reform has faced a series of challenges in the weeks following its local election breakthrough. The party secured more than 1,400 council seats nationwide, a landmark achievement that transformed it from an insurgent political movement into a significant force in local government.
However, maintaining discipline and stability among such a large influx of newly elected representatives has proven difficult. Within a month of the May elections, Reform had already lost 15 of its 1,454 councillors, raising concerns among critics about candidate vetting and organisational preparedness.
Several by-elections have been triggered by councillors who resigned shortly after being elected. The reasons have varied, ranging from health issues and workload concerns to controversies surrounding personal conduct. Among the most high-profile cases was Stuart Prior, who won seats on both Rochford and Essex councils before resigning days later following allegations concerning offensive social media posts. Another vacancy emerged in St Helens after councillor Stephen Mousdell stepped down when it became known that he had previously produced adult video content.
Although Reform insists such incidents are isolated and inevitable in a rapidly growing political organisation, opponents argue they illustrate deeper structural weaknesses within the party.
The timing of Lammas’s intervention is particularly notable because it coincides with an important electoral test for Reform. The party is contesting a closely watched by-election in Makerfield, where it faces competition not only from Labour but also from other right-leaning political forces. The contest has attracted significant attention because it is widely viewed as a measure of whether Reform can sustain the momentum that fuelled its recent successes. Polling suggests the outcome may be influenced by divisions within the broader right-wing electorate, potentially complicating Reform’s efforts to secure victory.
For Labour figures, including Greater Manchester Mayor Andy Burnham, the contest offers an opportunity to demonstrate that Reform’s appeal may have limits when voters are presented with multiple alternatives. For Reform, meanwhile, the election represents a chance to prove that its local government gains were not merely a protest vote but the beginning of a lasting political realignment.
Against this backdrop, Lammas’s departure provides ammunition to critics who question the party’s readiness for power. His description of Reform as “unfit to govern” strikes at a central challenge facing Nigel Farage and his allies as they attempt to move beyond campaigning and establish themselves as credible administrators.
Whether Lammas’s criticisms reflect broader dissatisfaction within Reform or simply the grievances of a disillusioned former member remains open to debate. What is clear, however, is that his dramatic reversal underscores the growing pressures facing a party that has risen rapidly from the political margins to the centre of Britain’s local government landscape.
As Reform seeks to convince voters it can translate electoral success into effective leadership, the testimony of one of its former senior figures is likely to reignite questions about its internal cohesion, governing competence and long-term future. For Robbie Lammas, the verdict is already clear. The political home he embraced only months ago is, he says, not the movement he believed it to be—and a mistake he is determined not to repeat.
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