Reform leader labelled ‘bully’ by Tory chair over veiled threat to MP
The leader of Reform UK was accused of being a “bully” by the Tory chairman after he made a veiled threat against a senior MP.
Richard Tice was branded a “threatening bully” after he tweeted a warning to Tory deputy chairman Jonathan Gullis in response to criticism directed at the Reform party.
Mr Tice claimed he possessed “multiple bits of embarrassing personal information” about the Stoke-on-Trent North MP.
Tory chair Richard Holden then intervened in the extraordinary row on X by calling Mr Tice a “silly man”.
Mr Tice issued a “special Easter message to Tory MP Jonathan Gullis” on Sunday, writing: “Given the multiple bits of embarrassing personal information we have on you, I suggest you pipe down on your attacks against me.”
Mr Holden responded: “What a threatening bully (Mr Tice) is exposing himself to be. Silly man.”
Reform sources denied the message amounted to blackmail and said it was a show of frustration over the Tory tactics.
Mr Tice’s message was apparently a response to comments made by Mr Gullis in the Mail on Sunday in which he criticised the party.
The newspaper reported that the Nigel Farage-linked party’s would-be MPs include a convicted animal abuser and a fortune-teller who sold spells for £200 on the OnlyFans website.
Mr Gullis said: “Reform says its candidates have been vetted and given that all of this information was in the public domain, we can only assume this cast of characters passed Mr Tice’s muster.
“We are clearly not just talking about a ‘few rotten eggs’ here. If you are promoting candidates banned from looking after dogs, how can you honestly say they are capable of looking after the interests of their constituents?”
A major poll and seat-by-seat analysis conducted by Survation has indicated the Tories could be reduced to just 98 MPs at the general election – but that figure would rise to 150 if Reform stood aside.
The Survation analysis suggested Reform UK was set to come second in seven seats with an overall national vote share of 8.5 per cent.
But both the Conservatives and Reform have ruled out any suggestion of an election deal.
