Reform UK faces Commons rebuke over ‘political’ synagogue visit for Jewish group launch

Reform UK ignored strict parliamentary rules when its leading MPs, including Nigel Farage and Richard Tice, spoke at the launch of the party’s Jewish Alliance organisation without notifying the local elected representative, Commons Speaker Lindsay Hoyle has declared.

In a bitter political row, Rachel Blake, the MP for Cities of Westminster, raised a point of order in the Commons the day after the launch of the Reform Jewish Alliance had taken place at a central London shul’s function room in her constituency.

Blake said there had been a “failure to notify me of this visit – it was a political visit” to a synagogue on Tuesday and one made “at a time when we need to work together in our communities to tackle antisemitism, this terrible form of hate.”

Reform’s leader, its deputy, along with recent defectors Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, had all spoken at the event, which aimed to bolster support for Reform within the Jewish community through the launch of RJA.

Speaker Lindsay Hoyle was initially forced to tell Reform deputy leader Tice to stay silent, as he told MPs:”I am very clear on this, when members go into another member’s constituency, they should let the member know in advance of that visit.”

Hoyle said this was a “courtesy and rule” expected to be observed by MPs, although he said all parties were guilty at times of failing to do so.

But Tice later rose to his feet again, to  declare his “disgust” at the Labour MP, accusing her of “making a cheap political point about my visit to a synagogue in the same constituency as the House of Parliament.”

Tice later also posted on X:”Why are so many Labour MPs just deeply antisemitic?”

A Jewish Labour Movement source responded saying:”Reform UK have just dropped a council by-election candidate in Redcar for overtly antisemitic comments. Perhaps Richard Tice should get his own house in order before accusing others.”

But Hoyle responded, telling Tice, “I stand by my ruling.
“If you are visiting for prayer or visiting in a private capacity, one wouldn’t be expected to be told.
“But if one is doing it in an official position and is going to a synagogue as an invite, it is only right that it is on all of us to ensure that the Member of Parliament is aware.
“And I will leave it at that.
“I’m not going to continue the debate  –  just want to reaffirm to all members, whether shadow ministers or ministers or by benchers, please ensure the Member of Parliament is aware of a visit, and when I say a visit, not in a private capacity, but in a political capacity.”

The RJA event took place at a function hall that is available for bookings outside of shul business.

But in their speeches, every Reform MP made a point of naming the synagogue, and using this as a significant factor in their messaging, suggesting only under Farage would the country tackle antisemitism effectively.