Nigel Farage and Rupert Lowe are united by this massive threat to the Right

OPINION

Rupert Lowe may feel exonerated after the Crown Prosecution Service decided not to pursue action against the former Reform UK MP, who now sits as an independent. Yet while Lowe's criticism of Reform boss Nigel Farage has its supporters among some of the party's grassroots, the truth is that out in the country the public scarcely cares.

If the May 1 elections prove anything it is that Reform is seen as the key vehicle to bring about conservative reforms on immigration, crime, tax, and the environment. Yes, stories about attempted far-right infiltration in Reform are worrying. But even this evidences the extent to which Reform is seen as the primary means to change British politics from the Right.

Therefore, any attempt to split the right-wing vote with new splinter parties seems unlikely to achieve much beyond helping Labour and the Tories, and that assumes the public is even receptive.

Should Lowe join the Conservatives, this may feel like a betrayal for his grassroots backers. If he joins a new minor party, what effect can it realistically have at this juncture?

Bereft of organisation and funds, any new party will face the most insurmountable hurdles. In the unlikely event it has any breakthrough it would likely only be enough to aid Labour and the Tories by sucking crucial votes away from Reform.

The Runcorn by-election demonstrated how tight the margins could be for Farage's party as it begins its ascent. Are Farage's critics then really willing to aid and abet the Conservatives and Labour?

For one month now, every national opinion poll has Reform ahead. Even with the next general election likely four years from now - and with Reform carrying the weighty responsibility of 10 councils - the direction of travel seems clear.

Look, if the objective is to stick it to Farage, and aid Labour and the Tories, then setting up new fringe parties is fair game. But Reform UK is right now the only credible vehicle to challenge the main parties from the Right.

The next few months and years of course will demonstrate if Reform is simply a flash in the pan or a permanent fixture of UK politics. Continued professionalisation and policies are also essential if Reform is to present itself as a credible party of government.

But those who want genuine change in Britain need to consider whether - whatever misgivings they may have - they are willing to undermine Reform now, and choke the possibility of the very changes they want to see happen in the UK.