The former Brexit Party has become a Trussite party, carrying on the Tory civil war from outside

Reform UK is challenging the Liberal Democrats in the polls, writes John Rentoul

Ukip, the Brexit Party and now Reform aims to put pressure on the Conservative Party by threatening to steal its votes (Getty)

Nigel Farage is threatening to return to politics, while his former Brexit Party, now called Reform UK, is challenging the Liberal Democrats for third place in the opinion polls.

Reform, led by Richard Tice, is averaging 7 per cent in the polls, while the Lib Dems are on 8 per cent. In one poll two days ago the two parties were level, and there was a YouGov poll in mid-December that put Reform one point ahead.

This is bad news not just for Ed Davey, whose party is capable of winning parliamentary by-elections in safe Conservative seats but little else, but for Rishi Sunak. As with Ukip before the EU referendum, and the Brexit Party before the 2019 election, Reform is an electoral force acting mainly on the Tory party.