Kemi Badenoch has defended Tory party chairman Kevin Hollinrake amid a backlash after he appeared to compare Reform UK to the Nazis.
Mr Hollinrake posted a link to a Wikipedia entry about a badge handed out to members of Adolf Hitler’s party in response to a social media post from Nigel Farage showing a Reform emblem.
Tory former home secretary Suella Braverman said the comparison was “wrong, irresponsible and highly counter-productive”.
And Reform’s policy chief Zia Yusuf said: “This will be on leaflets and ad vans to the point of saturation, so every single one of their constituents knows: the Tories think that if you support Reform, you’re a Nazi.”
But Mrs Badenoch brushed off the row.
She told the PA news agency: “Kevin Hollinrake made a joke. Reform spend a lot of time online abusing other politicians.”
Pointing to the 10-and-a-half-year sentence handed to Reform’s former leader in Wales Nathan Gill for bribery over pro-Russian speeches, she said: “I think they have much bigger problems.”
But Mr Hollinrake’s social media activity revealed unease about how to respond to Mr Farage’s threat to the Tories.
Mrs Braverman said: “I expect this from Labour, not the Conservatives.
“Let’s raise the level of debate: criticise the policies, even challenge the people or their actions.
“But comparing Reform and their supporters to Nazis is wrong, irresponsible and highly counter-productive.
“Kevin does not speak for me.”
