A heated argument has erupted following a comparison made by the Tory Party chairman between Nigel Farage’s Reform and the Nazis. Kevin Hollinrake drew criticism after sharing an image of a Swastika badge in response to a post by the Reform chief. Despite deleting the post, Hollinrake further fueled the controversy by sharing a link to a page about the badge.
Hollinrake, who has been in his party role since July, posted a picture of a badge given to the initial 100,000 members of Adolf Hitler’s party in 1933, in reaction to a post by Farage hinting at something upcoming, accompanied by a gold Reform logo.
Although he removed the image, Hollinrake proceeded to share a link to the Wikipedia page about the badge with an “eyes” emoji, sparking outrage within Reform circles. In response, Farage remarked, “This is why they are on course to win 14 seats at the next election,” alluding to internal Tory polling indicating potential success in a general election.
Reform advisor Alan Mendoza, a recent defector from the Tories, criticized Hollinrake’s actions as “a disgraceful slur” and “lazy and weak.” Tory MP Suella Braverman also condemned the comparison as “wrong, irresponsible, and highly counter-productive,” emphasizing that Hollinrake’s views do not represent her own.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch downplayed the incident, characterizing it as a joke by Hollinrake and accusing Reform of engaging in online abuse towards other politicians. A Tory spokesperson highlighted other issues concerning Reform, such as their leader in Wales being jailed for ten years and their proposed elimination of the two-child benefit cap.
A source from Reform expressed dismay over Hollinrake’s actions, stating, “If you vote Reform, the Conservative Party chairman considers you a Nazi,” further criticizing the Tories for their behavior. Hollinrake shared a link to a page detailing the Golden Party Badge, an award given by Hitler to early party members, both men and women, who demonstrated loyalty. Reform policy chief Zia Yusuf predicted negative repercussions for Conservative incumbents due to Hollinrake’s actions, suggesting the incident will be extensively publicized to portray Tories as equating Reform supporters with Nazis.