Tories are still biggest party on the right, claims Cleverly

Tories are still biggest party on the right, claims Cleverly12 minutes agoShareSaveAdd as preferred on GoogleKate WhannelPolitical reporterBBCShadow housing secretary Sir James Cleverly has argued that the Conservatives are still the biggest party on the right of British politics despite Reform making huge gains at their expense in Thursday's elections.He claimed Reform were not a centre right party but, rather, a "cult of personality", adding: "Nigel [Farage] is not a policy, being angry at stuff is not a policy."By contrast, the Tories backed "reducing taxes, protecting borders, funding the armed forces and making sure we liberate businesses," he told the BBC's Laura Kuenssberg. Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice told the same programme that his party's electoral success represented a "seismic earthquake in British politics". On Thursday, Reform picked up more than 1,450 council seats and gained control of 14 councils, both from the Conservatives - for example in Suffolk and Essex - but also in traditional Labour areas such as Sunderland and Barnsley. It also came second in the Welsh Parliament elections and joint second with Labour in Scotland. Speaking on Friday, Reform UK leader Nigel Farage said there had been "historic vote shifts" adding: "The old ideas of left and right have literally been blown apart in the last 24 hours."Tice said his party had faced "more scrutiny than anybody else before," adding: "But isn't it interesting that despite all of the scrutiny and the attacks on Nigel, on me, on our candidates, on our councils, voters have said, we want more Reform please."Elections 2026: Follow updates and reaction liveAt a glance: Election results so farWhat latest election results show us in maps and chartsSir John Curtice: Election results show politics in the UK has fragmentedSupport for the Conservatives in England fell by 11 points compared to 202...