Ben Lowry: TUV showed questionable judgement getting involved with a character such as Nigel Farage

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (centre) leaves the Wellington Hotel, London yesterday on the election campaign trail. Photo: James Manning/PA

(Click here to read Ben Lowry’s main column about the Sinn Fein disastrous election result)

When he was leader of Ukip the party did well, when he wasn’t, it didn’t. He was leader in 2009 and it had an excellent MEP election, he wasn’t the following year and it had a bad Westminster election, then he was again for the 2014 MEP election and it outpolled the Tories.

He is a brilliant politician who was central to the Conservatives committing to an In-Out vote on the EU, and then, when they had to hold just such a referendum, to the victory in it. I argued against Brexit myself but I cannot deny his achievement.

Last week Mr Farage, who has the arrogance of a man who knows he can make or break political parties or major political decisions, humiliated Jim Allister over his pact with Reform UK. Mr Farage endorsed two DUP MPs, Ian Paisley Jr and Sammy Wilson, and in effect said: ‘Sorry TUV, but I’m leader now.’

The TUV has partially recovered from this extraordinary betrayal of its deal with Reform, because – it seems – key people in the latter party put pressure on Mr Farage.

I do think that the TUV showed questionable judgement in getting involved with such a character. He wasn’t leader of Reform at the time but there was always a strong chance he would return and act in a cavalier fashion, indulging then imposing whatever whims suddenly took him.

• Ben Lowry (@BenLowry2) is News Letter editor