Nigel Farage’s plans to rename the Brexit Party have hit a roadblock

NIGEL FARAGE’s PLAN to rename the Brexit Party as the anti-lockdown ‘Reform UK’ has had a snag.

The reform think tank has written to the Election Commission to complain about the proposed name change, arguing that it could lead to “voter confusion.”

The think tank, which advocates for public service reform, has also written to Farage asking him to reconsider.

The Brexit Party has asked the Election Commission to formally change its name, and Farage argued that, in addition to monitoring Boris Johnson’s negotiations with the EU, “more reforms are needed in many other areas.”

Party chairman Richard Tice has said a new strategy against coronavirus is needed “so that we learn to live with it, not hide out of fear.”

In his letter to Farage, Reform said: “We are resolutely independent and strictly non-partisan.

As a charity, this independence is absolutely critical to our reputation and work, and therefore long-standing goodwill on our behalf.

He warned Farage that “changing the name of the Brexit Party to ‘Reform UK’ runs the risk of undermining that goodwill through confusion and / or alleged association with a political party.”

Charlotte Pickles, director of the think tank, said: “We are flattered that Mr. Farage wants to copy our name, yet in doing so he is undermining nearly two decades of work to establish our reputation for producing genuinely reformist and grounded policy research. in evidence.

“We are a small charity and our independent, party-free political status is absolutely critical to our ability to raise funds to support our work.

“We are kindly asking Mr Farage and the Brexit Party to take our concerns very seriously and choose a different name.”