In a significant political turn, Liam Booth-Isherwood, the Reform UK candidate for Erewash, has announced he is suspending his campaign and endorsing the Conservative Party candidate Maggie Throup. Booth-Isherwood cited a “failure of leadership” and pervasive issues within Reform UK as reasons for his departure.

In a statement, Booth-Isherwood expressed his growing discontent with the behaviour and conduct within the Reform Party. “Over the past few weeks, I have been increasingly disillusioned with the behaviour and conduct of Reform,” he said. He pointed to reports of “widespread racism and sexism” as indicative of “a significant moral issue within certain elements of the party.”

Booth-Isherwood condemned the party leadership for not addressing these problems, declaring, “The failure from the party’s leadership to address the problem has made it a party I no longer want to be associated with.”

The former candidate’s endorsement of Conservative Maggie Throup is a strategic move to consolidate votes against Labour. “As a result, I am announcing my endorsement of the Conservative Party candidate, Maggie Throup, for Erewash. Only she can stop Labour,” he added.

Booth-Isherwood’s decision follows a series of controversies plaguing Reform UK, led by Nigel Farage. Recently, the party had to withdraw support for three candidates—Edward Oakenfull in Derbyshire Dales, Robert Lomas in Barnsley North, and Leslie Lilley in Southend East and Rochford—after accusations of making racist and offensive comments. Despite the withdrawal of support, these candidates will remain on the ballot due to the passing of the registration deadline for the upcoming election.

The issues within Reform UK came to a head after a Channel 4 investigation exposed campaigners making racist comments, including derogatory remarks about Prime Minister Rishi Sunak, who is of Indian descent. The undercover footage showed Reform campaigner Andrew Parker using a racist term about Sunak and suggesting that migrants should be used as “target practice.”

In response to the Channel 4 broadcast, Reform UK reported the broadcaster to the Electoral Commission, accusing it of “election interference.” Adam Richardson, the party’s secretary, claimed that Andrew Parker was a plant within the news piece. Channel 4 has denied these allegations, asserting that Parker was a genuine Reform party canvasser.

Nigel Farage has also been vocal about what he perceives as media bias, alleging that the audience on BBC’s Question Time was “rigged” against him and vowing not to appear on Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg without an apology from the corporation. The BBC has firmly denied these claims.

The turmoil within Reform UK and Booth-Isherwood’s defection add to the challenges faced by the party as it navigates this election cycle. Meanwhile, Maggie Throup’s campaign has welcomed the endorsement, hoping to leverage it to bolster Conservative support in Erewash.

As the election approaches, the political landscape in Erewash and beyond continues to shift, reflecting broader tensions and transformations within the UK’s political parties.