Overview
- Nigel Farage has appointed Miles Goslett to lead Reform UK’s communications with a remit focused on longer-term opposition research, Substack and other owned-media work rather than daily press handling.
- Goslett is a former investigative journalist who ran Heat Street’s London bureau and recently worked as researcher for Tory peer Lord Michael Ashcroft, including on a book about Farage.
- Reform’s move follows a slide in support from a peak near 35% last year to about 24% in recent polls and the party’s loss at the Makerfield by-election, which exposed weaknesses in campaign preparation.
- The party is under scrutiny over donor and disclosure issues, including reporting about a £5 million donation linked to Christopher Harborne and questions over undeclared properties, and has faced problems vetting candidates such as Robert Kenyon.
- Watch for new outputs from Farage’s owned channels and whether Goslett’s work on research and messaging improves candidate vetting and transparency or further narrows media scrutiny of the party.