Reform UK leader Richard Tice has reportedly give a “cast-iron guarantee” that his party will not stand aside in seats where Conservatives are standing.
With the next general election set for 2024, Tice has told his senior team that he is willing to split Rishi Sunak’s vote in key locations. He has said he will fight the Conservatives right up until polling day.
Reform has already selected 440 candidates for the upcoming election. It says it intends to stand in all constituencies apart from those in Northern Ireland, reports The Times.
Led by Nigel Farage, it contested the 2019 general election as the Brexit Party. It changed its name and relaunched after Britain left the European Union.
The party posed a real threat to Boris Johnson’s chances of securing a majority. But at the last minute Nigel Farage decided to stand down, resulting in a loss for Jeremy Corbyn.
Tice has previously said he planned to stand against the Conservatives. In January, he said: “It’s a 110%, cast-iron guarantee. We’ve already got 600 candidates, we will stand everywhere.
“I think people are starting to realise that we’re serious about this. For obvious reasons, some people have ignored us until now, but we’ve got momentum. We’re equal or above the Lib Dems.”
General elections must take place no more than five years apart, so the next one must take place by January 28 2025 at the latest. Rishi Sunak this week however confirmed the next general election will be held in 2024.
