Former Prime Minister Liz Tru and Brexit firebrand Nigel Farage were spotted enjoying a private lunch at an exclusive Mayfair club this week, just days after another high-profile Conservative defection to the rival Reform UK party. The meal, organised by the climate-sceptic Heartland Institute think tank, has raised eyebrows given Tru ‘s frosty relationship with the insurgent right-wing group.
The lunch took place on the same day that Reform UK’s newest recruit, former Tory Housing Secretary Robert Jenrick, publicly criticised Tru ‘s disastrous mini-budget. However, attendee Lance Forman said Tru was “not upset at all” about Jenrick’s comments, and even discussed the matter with Farage over their meal.
While Reform UK has distanced itself from Tru publicly, the private gathering organised by the Heartland Institute – a US-based think tank known for its climate change denial – suggests ongoing ties between the former prime minister and the right-wing faction. Guests at the lunch also included controversial figures such as historian David Starkey and broadcaster Mike Graham.
Labour seized on the optics of Tru and Farage breaking bread, with a spokesperson accusing the pair of “quaffing champagne and enjoying a lavish lunch” while Jenrick criticised Tru ‘s economic record. The spokesperson added that Fais “hellbent on reassembling Boris Johnson’s cabinet of failed Tories who broke our public services and hammered family finances”.
Despite Reform UK’s public distancing, the lunch raises questions about Tru ‘s future political affiliations. Lois Perry, a former Ukip leader now working with the Heartland Institute, has previously brought Tru and Farage together, including at the launch of the think tank’s UK chapter last year. With the Conservatives still licking their wounds, the prospect of Tru aligning with the insurgent right will concern many in the party.
