Crisis-hit Nigel Farage recruits the man who researched Lord Ashcroft’s book about him to help him save Reform
Crisis-hit Nigel Farage has turned to the man who researched Lord Michael Ashcroft’s controversial books – including one about himself – to save his struggling UK Reform operation.
Just 24 hours after a BMG poll suggested Burnham-led Labor would end Reform’s long lead in the polls and put them one point ahead, Mr Farage appointed Miles Goslett as his new communications chief.
It follows a series of setbacks for Mr Farage’s party, including donations scandals and his defeat to Andy Burnham in the Makerfield by-election.
Mr Goslett was until recently a Tory peer and investigator for donor Lord Ashcroft. He has co-authored a number of his colleague’s books, including the hit on former deputy prime minister Angela Rayner (Red Queen?) and soon-to-be former prime minister Sir Keir Starmer (Red Knight).
He was also involved in writing critical books by current Tory leader Kemi Badenoch (Blue Ambition) and former prime minister Rishi Sunak (go to Broke).
But lately he has been helping Mr Ashcroft write a book about Mr Farage. Farage Factor.
A Reform source said Mr Goslett “will not be working on day-to-day press inquiries”.
They said: “He does long-term work – opposition research, substack and other things. He’s a huge contribution.”
Mr Farage, who recently pulled out of an interview with the BBC’s Laura Kuenssberg at the last minute, is believed to have looked to his own channels on social media and a podcast to convey the message that he could avoid tough questions.
Mr Goslett, previously an award-winning journalist, had made a name for himself in right-wing circles covering the BBC and ran the London bureau of Rupert Murdoch’s anti-woke website Heat Street.
Mr Goslett comes at a time when Mr Farage has abandoned almost weekly press conferences amid questions over his undisclosed £5 million donation from Thailand-based crypto billionaire Christopher Harborne and questions over his failure to declare his five homes.
The party fell from a high of 35 percent in last year’s polls to around 24 percent in the latest polls.
While Reform won 1,452 seats in the English council in May’s elections, coming second in both Wales and Scotland, Farage’s allies believe they lost a further 500 seats due to “mass deportation” rhetoric on immigration.
Then last month they were soundly defeated by Mr Burnham in the target seat of Makerfield; just a few weeks ago they had won all their council seats.
The Makerfield by-election highlighted an ongoing problem in candidate selection after it was revealed that their candidate, Robert Kenyon, had a questionable social media history.
The party’s home affairs spokesman, Zia Yusuf, who has been involved in an ongoing row with Treasury spokesman and Conservative defector Robert Jenrick, told BBC Question Time that he had been blocked from taking part in the by-elections.
