Overview

• Sarah Pochin described President Trump as “a bit of a chauvinist” but said he “clearly does respect women,” insisting the party has no formal alignment with him.
• Pochin linked illegal migration to risks against women and reaffirmed Reform UK’s vote against extending bereavement leave after 24 weeks of pregnancy.
• At the press conference, Pochin hailed ex-MP James McMurdock as a “shining example” of rehabilitation despite his 2006 assault conviction.
• Andrea Jenkyns recounted a policing lapse that threatened her safety and called for zero-tolerance enforcement inspired by Rudy Giuliani’s New York approach.
• Critics have flagged the mixture of gaffes and controversial policy defences as a challenge to Reform UK’s bid to broaden its appeal beyond hardline associations.