Nigel Farage demands apology from Kemi Badenoch in Reform membership row

Sign up for the View from Westminster email for expert analysis straight to your inbox Get our free View from Westminster email Get our free View from Westminster email SIGN UP I would like to be emailed about offers, events and updates from The Independent. Read our privacy policy Nigel Farage has demanded an apology from Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch after she accused his Reform UK party of publishing fake statistics showing membership surpassing that of the Tory party. Ms Badenoch said the digital counter on Reform’s website was “coded to tick up automatically” when it recorded membership on Boxing Day morning ticking past the 131,680 figure declared by the Conservative Party earlier this year. I know she’s well known for lashing out at people, but I am not at all happy, and I’m going to take some action.” He later told Press Association: “She has put out this crazy conspiracy theory and she needs to apologise.” Despite the dispute, Mr Farage said people were continuing to join the party with Reform UK’s ticker showing 143,968 members on Friday night. open image in gallery Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch claimed Reform UK’s counter was coded to tick up automatically As Ms Badenoch made her claim about the Reform UK figure being false, she also suggested the Conservatives’ own membership figures had risen in recent weeks, writing on social media: “For a party that pretends to hate the establishment so much, they are copying and pasting the fake Tony Blair/Alister Campbell’s spin book.