Lib Dems launch internal ‘Reform Watch’ in bid to monitor Farage-led policies

11 May 2025, 12:50 | Updated: 11 May 2025, 12:52

By Rose Morelli

@sadlittlejourno

Lib Dem leader Ed Davey has announced a new ‘Reform Watch’ system in Parliament, saying Labour and the Conservatives are too scared to hold Nigel Farage’s party to account.

The plans come amid a wider push within the party to become the “antidote to Reform”.

The system will be spearheaded by Amanda Hopgood, who leads the Lib Dem opposition to Reform in County Durham.

County Durham recently elected ex-GB News presenter Darren Grimes as its new Reform mayor, after he received 49.7% of the vote.

Anthony Hook, another Lib Dem opposition leader based in Kent, will also head up the scheme.

Also leading the scheme is Mike Ross, leader of Hull city council, who lost out on Hull mayorship to Reform’s Luke Campbell by nearly 13,000 votes.

Read More: Labour warns council staff to ‘join union’ and find new jobs after Reform win

Read More: Nearly 30 councillors defect to Reform UK as Farage says party's civil war won’t ‘put a dent’ in electoral chances

The scheme will monitor how many cuts Reform make to local services. They will also monitor whether the party, as stated, will ban councils flying the Ukraine flag, and scale back on climate-related policies.

“When you look at what councils do on climate change, the vast bulk of the work is insulating people’s homes,” Davey has said.

“So, is Nigel Farage essentially going to say to less well-off people: ‘We’re not insulating your home, you can pay higher energy bills, and we’re pleased about that because that can make climate change worse’. Is that the Reform position?"

The Lib Dems also hope to extend their policy of opposing President Trump through this system.

Seeing Reform and Nigel Farage as “cheerleaders” for Trump, the Lib Dems have also previously called the Conservatives a “Trump fan club”, and criticised Labour for “not being willing” to take him on.

“We’re going to take the fight to them [Reform],” Davey said.

“Whether it’s exposing the fact that Farage is a huge cheerleader for Donald Trump and wants money from Elon Musk, all those sorts of things.”

The Lib Dems and Reform performed well in May’s local elections, both making council gains and overtaking the Conservatives share of votes.

But flyaway Reform bested the Lib Dems in several local authorities, with Lib Dems coming second to Reform in four areas.

“We don’t think the fight against Reform is going to be necessarily easy,” Davey has said.

“Are we worried about the rise of Reform? Of course we are. The question is, what’s the best way to respond to that? And I don’t think it’s to copy them.”

“From what I see, we’re the only party who seem to be up for that. The others seem a bit afraid of them.”

The Conservatives have been accused of “copying” Reform policies by Health Secretary Wes Streeting. But Labour aren’t spared from accusation of trying to win votes back by aping their policies either.

Green Party co-leader and Bristol Central MP Carla Denyer has accused Labour of engaging in a “race to the right” by copying their hardline stance on immigration.