Lee Anderson blasts Michael Heseltine over claims Reform UK is 'fascist'

Reform UK's Lee Anderson has condemned Tory grandee Michael Heseltine as "deeply unpleasant" after the former cabinet minister launched a furious rant against Nigel Farage's party. The failed Tory leadership candidate said he is determined to "expose Reform for what they are".

The former deputy prime minister claimed that Mr Farage's party, which has been leading in the polls for months, is the "reincarnation of Oswald Mosley and his fascists in the 30s, when it was the Jews [who were the target], and of Enoch Powell with immigrants in the 60s". Lord Heseltine added: "Farage is the reincarnation of that human instinct to distrust something different from yourself, we have seen it all before throughout our history - the Wars of the Roses, Catholics vs Protestants.

"We have been there before, and I hate it. I wanted to tell the Conservative Party, with all the experience I may have, that they must never do a deal with Nigel Farage."

He claimed that Britain "absolutely needs to control" its borders, but added it would be easier if we were still part of the European Union "to police the frontiers".

Hitting back at the claims, Mr Anderson told the Express that Lord Heseltine was a "deeply unpleasant man".

Reform's chief whip snapped: "This man announced the closure of over half of the remaining British coal mines in 1992, resulting in thousands of job losses, a decision he said was unpleasant but necessary.

"I say Heseltine is deeply unpleasant and not necessary in this day and age."

Lord Heseltine, a lifelong Remainer, also told The Times that Kemi Badenoch has never asked for his advice and is wrong to want to withdraw from the European Convention on Human Rights.

He accused both Labour and the Tories of having "all pandered to [Nigel Farage] too much... They appear to be obsessed by emulating him rather than taking him on."

The former defence secretary, who played a key role in the downfall of Margaret Thatcher, said that while he rarely goes into the House of Lords any more, "my final contribution may be to try to stop Nigel Farage for the welfare of this country".