Reform appoints former RAF commander to reassure critics on Ukraine stance

Reform UK has appointed former RAF commander Angus MacIntyre as its first Armed Forces spokesman, in what senior party sources describe as a “clean break” with past accusations that Nigel Farage was sympathetic to Vladimir Putin. MacIntyre has voiced support for Ukraine and condemned Putin, as the party seeks to reassure critics about its defence stance.

Farage drew criticism during the last general election after saying EU and Nato expansion gave Russia grounds to justify its invasion of Ukraine. MacIntyre also condemned former Reform Wales leader Nathan Gill, who was jailed for taking bribes for pro-Russian interviews. The article reports mixed polling: one survey put Reform on 18 per cent, eight points behind the Conservatives, while a poll of polls placed Reform and the Tories jointly second on 21 per cent, behind Labour on 28 per cent.