Ben Habib refuses to rule out Reform UK return after bombshell exit: ‘If Nigel wants a group hug, let’s have one!’

Former Reform UK co-deputy leader Ben Habib has refused to rule out a return to the party after announcing his shock departure.

Habib, 59, announced his decision to leave the populist party earlier today as it welcomed former Tory minister Andrea Jenkyns to its ranks.

But speaking on GB News, the former Brexit Party MEP opened the door to a potential “group hug” should he and Reform’s top brass come to an agreement in the future.

“I’m in politics for the United Kingdom. The proud, sovereign unit that is the United Kingdom”, he said.

“I am going to go on fighting that cause. If Reform should democratise and Nigel [Farage] wants that group hug, let’s have it.

“Let’s get on with life.”

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GB News’s Martin Daubney said Habib appeared to “have the rose between his teeth and the champagne on ice” ready to “kiss and make up” with the likes of Nigel Farage, Zia Yusuf and Richard Tice.

Earlier in the discussion, Habib revealed the “final straw” that prompted his departure from the party which won five seats at the general election this year.

“The major issue was some ideological differences with the party, but essentially the party not democratising, they promised they would”, he said.

“Zia Yusuf said he had the finest legal minds working day and night to produce a constitution which would democratise the party.

“When it turned up, it was a reheated document from 2022. I very much doubted he had any legal minds working on it, the way it had been drafted.

“The other promise, which Nigel himself made, was that the party, which is a limited company, would be converted from unlimited by shares to unlimited by guarantee – legally that’s not possible.

“Indeed, no applications have been made to the Electoral Commission for change in structure. Democratisation is fundamental to me.

“The final straw for me was hearing in the last few days that HQ had told branches, people with whom I had campaigned shoulder to shoulder with, people I knew so well, had been banned from hearing from me.

“I thought well, if the party takes the view that people I have galvanised into this movement can’t hear from me, it’s time to leave.”

It comes as the party’s 100,000th member was revealed to be ex-Tory MP Dame Andrea Jenkyns.

Speaking at a Westminster press conference, she described the Conservative Party as a “sinking ship” that was “perhaps, sadly, beyond salvage”.

The former education minister lost her Leeds South West and Morley seat to Labour in this year’s general election.

Reform UK leader Nigel Farage announced Jenkyns will stand as the party’s candidate in the Greater Lincolnshire mayoral election next May.

“I’m politically aligned with them”, Jenkyns told GB News, adding she had “always believed in Nigel”.

Farage praised her as “extraordinary”, saying she has “every chance of winning” the mayoral seat.