Tice defends suspension of Reform UK activist over Farage criticism

Party’s deputy leader makes comments as he unveils new policy to subsidise more apprenticeships Reform UK’s deputy leader has defended the party’s suspension of a senior activist who criticised Nigel Farage, saying internal disagreements should be kept “behind closed doors”. Richard Tice, who is also the party’s business spokesperson, made the comments as he unveiled a new policy of subsidising more apprenticeships, paid for by cutting student loans for foreign nationals and those studying what he termed “Mickey Mouse” degrees. Reform UK has been stalling in the polls in recent months after questions about Farage’s financial affairs, with a personal £5m gift from Thailand-based billionaire Christopher Harborne under investigation by parliament’s standards watchdog. The party has also faced splits over the actions of Zia Yusuf, its home affairs spokesperson, who described senior Tory Ben Wallace, a former defence secretary, as a “traitor”. The decision to suspend Tim Montgomerie, a high-profile activist who defected from the Conservatives, came after he criticised Farage’s decision not to attend the count when he won the Clacton byelection, and said the leader had shown a “too domin