𝓤𝓷𝓲𝓽𝓮𝓭 𝓝𝓮𝔀𝓼

Britons are thirsting for patriotism and Nigel Farage has a “very real chance” of becoming the country’s next prime minister, according to a former Conservative cabinet minister who has joined Reform UK. David Jones, who served as Brexit minister and Secretary of State for Wales, has warned that “huge numbers of Britons feel deserted by the politicians who ostensibly represent them” and a “profoundly dangerous” sense of alienation has gripped the country.

In an exclusive essay for the Daily Express, he writes: “The popularity of Reform UK is a direct result of the conservative establishment having failed for too long to address problems that are of real concern to the people. Alienated and worried voters have, understandably, sought and found a new political home.”

Mr Jones writes that “evidence of the erosion of British national identity is everywhere” but he says Reform UK understands the critical importance of patriotism in improving life across the country.

He writes: “Once dismissed as a protest movement, Reform UK is now a serious political contender, far ahead of the other parties in the opinion polls, and Nigel Farage now stands a very real chance of walking into Downing Street in just a few years. The rise of Reform has coincided with increasing concern over the continuing threat to national identity.”

Mr Jones was a Conservative MP from 2005 until last year and this week he confirmed he has joined Reform because it is the “party that best represents my views”.

He wants to see a “practical form of patriotism” which is “founded on tradition, yet unashamedly forward-looking”.

“Britain today is far from perfect, and economic, social, and political problems abound,” he writes. “But an imperfect country has capacity for progress and improvement.

“Patriotism is an integral part of achieving that improvement. Reform UK understand that; and the old political elite will ignore it at their peril.”

Britain is not alone in seeing voters abandon parties which have long held power, he writes: “Across Europe, voters are turning away from established parties that have overseen uncontrolled mass immigration, economic stagnation and social turmoil. In the United States, the upsurge of Donald Trump is a direct result of an electoral base that feels disregarded by the political establishment.

“This shift reflects a deep-seated breakdown of trust between the governed and those who govern.”

He warns: “History teaches us that when democratic institutions are failing and no longer represent the legitimate concerns of the people, a more dangerous option can emerge.”

Mr Jones, who was a prominent member of pro-Brexit campaign group Leave Means Leave, is concerned that “far-Left and radical progressive ideological parties seek to undermine prevailing social cohesion, pretending to do so in the name of diversity, while far-Right populist parties promise to disrupt everything in the name of restoring an imaginary past order”.

However, he says the “political transformation” witnessed in many western democracies is powered by “a thirst for patriotism rather than a switch to a toxic nationalism”.

“Patriotism is an essential element of a nation’s social bond,” he writes. “It gives citizens a sense of belonging, with both a shared history and an everyday experience. It strengthens democracy by providing people with a sense that they have a real stake in their nation’s future.”