The Tory attack line on Reform that they are on the ‘Left’ is already beginning to unravel. Last night Shadow Housing Secretary James Cleverly declared that Farage was a “socialist“. This afternoon Shadow Energy Secretary Claire Coutinho refused to brand him with the same label. Asked at a Centre for Policy Studies’ fringe event whether Farage was a socialist, Claire dodged the question:
“The problem with Nigel is that you don’t know what he actually thinks about economics. He wants nationalisation, more welfare, which will require more tax and more spending. It’s important to me that we pass down an economy in good health that isn’t saddled with debt and I don’t know what that means to him, I don’t think it matters in the same way.”
On why voters would choose Tories over Reform on energy, Claire said there was a “credibility” issue with Reform, and that like with Corbyn when he promised in 2019 “free broadband, free dental, it was all free”, people will “smell a rat”. It’s a take…
