The Islamophobic world of Matt Goodwin

When you have built a name as a right-wing agitator, making incendiary demands like “an immediate ban on all migration from predominantly Islamic nations”, it is rather hard to change into a career of public service.

So Matthew Goodwin has set himself a challenge in standing as Reform’s candidate in the upcoming Gorton and Denton by-election. One in three of his would-be constituents are Muslim, and they might think twice before voting for a candidate who not only wants to “ban the burqa” but who has also asked “to what extent – if at all – is Islam compatible with western liberal democracy?” 

In his leadership of Reform, Nigel Farage has spent a lot of time trying to reassure on-the-fence voters that his party isn’t riddled with “loopy” candidates. Goodwin, a former academic, may have a GB News show and loads of blog subscribers, but is he really the best that Reform can offer?

Matthew Goodwin eating a page of his book on live TV after making a wrong prediction in 2017

This is a man who said “Trump is right” on immigration. 

Who is forever writing about 2063, the year he thinks white Britons will become a minority.

Who has shaken hands with Steve Bannon, Trump’s anti-Islam advisor. 

Who is “very supportive” of Elon Musk.

Tommy Robinson is endorsing Matthew Goodwin — and that should raise alarm bells.

Goodwin’s bonkers views might make him a successful rightwing influencer, but an MP? 

In any case, Goodwin might have a more pressing concern: getting on with his new colleagues. Here is what he once said about Robert Jenrick, who is Reform’s pick for chancellor should they form the next government:

“The thing with Jenrick though, is like somebody once said, you can take an injection for weight loss, but you can’t take an injection for personality. There are two things with Jenrick. One is there is no charisma. The second is he’s not as strong as he thinks he is. If you look at all of his social media metrics, they’re not actually that good. For somebody who’s supposed to be an insurgent politician on the right, he’s not connecting. He’s a Westminster story.”

We look forward to seeing Jenrick and Goodwin on the campaign trail together!

In other news…


🥴 The Prince Andrew defender logs on

Blink and you’ll have missed it, but there was an odd figure at a Reform event last week. Lady Victoria Hervey was in the audience at the launch of Veterans for Reform. She’s also been at their announcement of the London mayoral candidate, and has posed for pictures with Nigel Farage at Mar-a-Lago, Trump’s club in Florida. 

Lady Hervey has been promoting Reform on her social media account, but how happy is the party to have her support? She is, and we use this phrase with a great deal of consideration and forethought, utterly crackers. Lady Hervey has defended Prince Andrew, claiming the photo of him with his arms around a young Virginia Giuffre was faked. She also said the women who accused Jeffrey Epstein of rape and sex trafficking were “living the high life”. And she has said that vaccines were a plot by Bill Gates to “depopulate” the world. Whew!


Nigel Farage and Lady Victoria Hervey

🫡 Soft on crime, soft on the causes of crime

Speaking of the Veterans For Reform event, it was a real headscratcher. In it, Reform leaders unveiled a policy to ban all past — and future — prosecutions of war crimes. War crimes! The only exemption would be if the defence secretary allows a prosecution to go ahead. Reform also wants to leave the International Criminal Court. How’s that for a party that wants to restore law and order!

😬 Homelessness is what?

One last thing about this veterans’ event. Suella Braverman, the Tory MP, was announced as the latest defector to Reform. She was perhaps an unfortunate pick. Earlier speakers, like Dr David Bull, spoke of the plight of homeless veterans. Back in 2023, Braverman was criticised for saying homelessness was “a lifestyle choice”. Yikes.

📉 Stonks? Or stinks?

Something really weird happened last week. Late on January 30th, the Reform X account posted a link to what looked like an official cryptocurrency called REFORMGO. The link was deleted, but followed up by a post saying it had been hacked. That too was deleted. What gives?

😳 Bath time

Reform Watch readers may recall the curious case of Councillor James Petter, or Councillor Pecker as he is now known. His nude body was seen sliding into a foamy bubble bath while live on a training video call last year. The honourable member was observed by 35 other councillors. West Northamptonshire Council has been accused of covering up the incident, not with a towel, but a deletion of the video file. Talk about a cock-up…