When former security minister and Conservative leadership hopeful Tom Tugendhat took Reform to task for its shambolic performance running Kent Council last week, one Faragist figure was quick on the attack.
Tommy Tugs had taken to X to criticise Reform, writing: “Seeing @reformparty_uk break their promises so fast is a warning. They promised to cut taxes – in @Kent_cc they’re putting them up. They promised to cut waste – in Kent they’re hiring more politicians. They’ll say anything and hope you don’t notice. But you will notice the bill.”
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He was immediately taken to task by Marco Longhi, a Reform campaigner and parliamentary hopeful, who responded that “Being lectured by a Tory MP on ‘broken promises’ takes the biscuit. I don’t know what the circumstances in Kent are, but the people voted the Tories out and want to give change a chance. Remember: they had 14 years.”
They “they” in “they had 14 years” is odd. As is mocking Tugendhat as a Tory MP. Because as recently as last year Longhi was a Conservative MP alongside Tugendhat, departing Parliament not due to any principled resignation but by losing his seat, having sought to stay on as a Tory MP for another five years.
“Marco – we sat next to each other for years,” wrote back Tugendhat, not unreasonably. “You were a Tory and you rebelled against the whip less than I did! You championed Boris and told me to keep quiet when I was pointing out his failing policies. This is just silly.” Quite!
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