GB News host Camilla Tominey has grilled Mark Francois on why he is “wasting his time” attacking Reform UK instead of the “socialist Government”.
Appearing on the People’s Channel, Mr Francois was asked “what are you playing at” amid the party’s failure to “unite the right” and scrutinise the current Labour Government.
Highlighting the recent Clacton by-election, in which Reform leader Nigel Farage secured a second victory, the Shadow Defence Secretary was pressed on how it was once a “safe seat” for the Tories.
She told the Tory MP: “This was once a true blue Tory seat, it was covered in blue rosettes. You’re in Rayleigh in Essex, you know this territory like the back of your hand, and you’ve lost it and you’ve lost it to Reform because you simply weren’t Conservative enough.
“Why are you wasting all your time attacking Reform when you should be attacking this socialist Labour Government?”
Mr Francois hit back: “In fairness, we’ve forced 16 U-turns out of a Labour Government, and I think we put up such strong opposition to a Labour Government that the Labour backbenchers panicked and ditched their own Prime Minister.
“So I think a reasonable person would say we’ve been putting up quite a good fight, bearing in mind we’re outnumbered four to one day to day.”
Criticising Reform, Mr Francois argued that members of the party are “hardly there” in Parliament to join debates against the Government’s actions.
GB News host Camilla Tominey has grilled Mark Francois on why he is ‘wasting his time’ attacking Reform UK
| GB NEWS
He said: “If you look at defence as my own particular specialist interest, when we debate defence in the House of Commons Reform are hardly ever there.
“Reform don’t do defence, so I actually think I actually think we’re putting up quite a firm fight.”
Interjecting Mr Francois, Camilla reiterated her point: “There’s a fight on the right, and this is the problem, Mark. We’re now talking about should Andy Burnham have a snap election, and there’s a number of reasons why he might want to consider that.
“The Burnham bounce, he’s overtaken Reform in the polls for the first time in months for Labour, and the other reason he might want to have a election is