A heated dispute emerged following remarks by the Conservative Party chairman that drew a comparison between Nigel Farage’s Reform and the Nazis. Kevin Hollinrake shared an image of a Swastika badge in response to a post by the Reform leader. Despite deleting the post, he later added a link to a page detailing the badge’s history.
Hollinrake, who assumed the party role in July, posted a picture of a badge given to the initial 100,000 members of Adolf Hitler’s party in 1933 in reaction to Farage’s post hinting at upcoming developments. Although the image was removed, Hollinrake followed up by sharing a link to the Wikipedia entry about the badge, along with an “eyes” emoji, triggering outrage within Reform circles.
In response to the controversy, Farage commented, “This is why they are on course to win 14 seats at the next election,” citing leaked polling data from Tory headquarters projecting significant gains if a general election were held imminently.
Reform advisor Alan Mendoza, a former Tory member, condemned Hollinrake’s actions, labeling the comparison between Reform and Farage to the Nazis as disgraceful and baseless. Tory MP Suella Braverman also criticized the comparison as erroneous, irresponsible, and counterproductive, emphasizing that Hollinrake’s views did not reflect her own.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch characterized Hollinrake’s actions as a joke and accused Reform of engaging in online political attacks. A Tory spokesperson highlighted Reform’s alleged ties to Russia and criticized their welfare policies, urging the party to address these issues rather than focusing on social media spats.
A source from Reform expressed dismay over the situation, stating that the Conservative Party chairman’s actions implied that supporting Reform equated to supporting Nazism, further tarnishing the Tories’ reputation.
Hollinrake later shared a link to information about the Golden Party Badge, an award authorized by Hitler for early party members, emphasizing its significance and historical context. Reform’s policy chief Zia Yusuf warned that Hollinrake’s actions could jeopardize the electoral prospects of other prominent Tory figures due to the negative association created by the Nazi comparison.