In his speech at the state banquet in Windsor Castle earlier this week, King Charles said “our two countries face a multitude of complex threats, emanating from multiple directions. As friends and as allies, we face them together. These challenges know no borders: no fortress can protect us against them this time.” He also spoke of the need to tackle “irregular migration across the English Channel.”
‘Of course we should be there’
The Reform MP hit out at the “Establishment” for not inviting party leader Nigel Farage or Tice himself to the state banquet, which was also attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales, along with celebrities including Mick Jagger and Elton John. “Of course we should [be there],” said Tice, whose right-wing populist party is currently leading national polls. “We are a serious part of the political debate and that just can’t be denied.”
Tice’s interview comes in the week his party touted the defection of former Conservative chairman Jake Berry to Reform UK, the latest high-profile name to jump ship.
Speaking to McElvoy after Berry’s defection, Tice said: “I think you’ll see a number of parliamentarian Tories thinking this is pretty clear which way this is going. Equally, most of the parliamentary Tory party are basically closet Lib Dems. That’s the reality. And they’re not really Conservatives. We’re not Tory Mark Two, we never will be.”
Tice also reiterated that his party will not countenance an electoral pact with the beleaguered Conservatives. “No deal,” he said. “Why would you do a deal with a party that’s disappearing down the plughole with a toxic brand?”
UAE praise
Tice stepped aside as Reform UK leader last year to make way for Farage’s return to frontline politics in one of the most dramatic moments of the U.K. general election campaign.
