The UK Tories and Labour Got a Vibe Check—and Flunked
Reform’s rise, the Tory collapse, and the realignment nobody’s ready for in the UK
Reform UK is on the rise, the Tories are reeling, and Labour can’t seem to land a punch. So on this week’s episode of Craft Politics, we called in one of the few Conservatives still winning elections to help us make sense of it all: Ben Houchen, the three-time elected Mayor of Tees Valley and a straight-talker from the Red Wall. He’s wickedly smart, and helps Andrew Percy and I make sense of:
Why Reform’s surge feels like Brexit 2.0
How Labour can win the headlines but still lose the vote
Whether we’re heading for a three-party system—or a Tory wipeout
The realignment that’s reshaping British (and Canadian) conservatism
What it’ll take to rebuild a competitive Conservative Party—from the vibes up
Plus:
🏗 Ben argues the future of the Conservative Party lies in blue-collar realignment, not home counties nostalgia.
🚨 Why a non-aggression pact with Reform is a non-starter—and what that means for the Tory path back.
📣 And Andrew tells the infamous story of (almost) endorsing Ben’s Labour opponent on live TV.
Full Episode here: Don’t forget to subscribe, wherever you get your podcasts.