A heated controversy erupted when the Tory Party chairman made a comparison between Nigel Farage’s Reform party and the Nazis. Kevin Hollinrake posted an image of a Swastika badge in response to a post by the Reform leader, which he later deleted but followed up with a link to a page about the badge.
Hollinrake, who assumed the party role in July, shared a picture of a badge given to the initial 100,000 members of Hitler’s party in 1933, prompted by Farage’s post hinting at something imminent alongside a gold Reform logo.
Despite removing the image, Hollinrake proceeded to link to the Wikipedia page about the badge, accompanied by an “eyes” emoji, causing backlash within Reform circles.
In retaliation, Farage commented, “This is why they are on course to win 14 seats at the next election,” referring to leaked polling data from Tory HQ suggesting a potential significant victory in a current general election scenario.
Reform advisor Alan Mendoza, a recent defector from the Tories, criticized Hollinrake’s comparison as “disgraceful, lazy, and weak.” Tory MP Suella Braverman also condemned the comparison as “wrong, irresponsible, and highly counter-productive,” asserting that Hollinrake’s views did not represent hers.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch dismissed the incident as a joke by Hollinrake and accused Reform of spending excessive time online criticizing other politicians, highlighting other issues the party should address.
A source from Reform expressed dismay over Hollinrake’s actions, stating that the Conservative Party chairman implied that supporting Reform equates to being a Nazi, further tarnishing the Tory party’s reputation.
Hollinrake shared a link to a page detailing the Golden Party Badge, an award approved by Hitler to recognize early members, with around 20,000 men and 1,795 individuals receiving the badge. Additionally, it was granted at Hitler’s discretion to those deserving special acknowledgment.
Zia Yusuf, Reform’s policy chief, stated that Hollinrake’s actions have jeopardized the re-election prospects of certain Tory members, as the incident will be heavily publicized to emphasize the Tories’ association of Reform supporters with Nazis.