Reform By-Election Candidate Previously Condemned Party's Economic Strategy
Matt Goodwin, the Reform UK candidate standing in the crucial Gorton and Denton Westminster by-election, has previously described his own party's economic proposals as an "utterly toxic combination." This revelation comes from a LinkedIn post made three years ago, where the former academic strongly criticised plans to slash taxes and cut public spending.
Polling Data Reveals Public Opposition
In his social media commentary, Goodwin referenced polling from the respected British Social Attitudes survey, which indicated that only 6 percent of the public supported simultaneous reductions in both taxation and public expenditure. He emphasised this point by stating he "cannot stress enough how UNPOPULAR slashing taxes and cutting spending on public services is," branding the approach as fundamentally flawed.
This stance appears at odds with recent declarations from Reform UK leader Nigel Farage, who in November asserted that his party "will cut spending" and "we want to cut taxes." Farage reinforced this position last month, declaring intentions to "reduce excessive government spending" as part of their economic programme.
Controversial Comments on Fertility and Taxation
Goodwin recently attracted significant media attention after The Independent reported that he had called for women and young girls to receive a "biological reality" check regarding an impending "fertility crisis." Further investigations revealed that Goodwin had previously suggested implementing additional taxes on individuals who choose not to have children, while warning that "many women in Britain are having children much too late in life."
The polling data cited by Goodwin, who is contesting the Gorton and Denton by-election scheduled for the end of this month, demonstrated that over 50 percent of the public actually favoured increases in both taxes and spending, with 40 percent preferring current levels to remain unchanged.
Farage's Evolving Economic Position
In a speech delivered last year, Nigel Farage acknowledged that "substantial tax cuts" were currently unrealistic due to the "dire state" of national finances. However, he proposed raising the tax threshold for workers and abolishing Labour's inheritance tax modifications affecting family farms.
This represents a significant retreat from Reform's 2024 election pledge to implement £90 billion in tax reductions, a promise that the Institute for Fiscal Studies criticised for lacking detailed implementation plans. Speaking at a Davos event last month, Farage reflected on the Liz Truss and Kwasi Kwarteng budget, suggesting that the key lesson was their failure to propose spending cuts. He asserted that for Reform's programme to succeed, they must clearly communicate intentions to "reduce welfare spending" and "reduce excessive government spending."
Political Reactions and Campaign Dynamics
A Labour Party spokesperson responded to the revelations, stating: "Matt Goodwin's comments show that it's not just Labour saying Reform's economic plans are ludicrous – their own candidate thinks so too. Reform UK offers nothing but a return to austerity, enacted by a party stuffed full of the same Tories that broke our public services in the first place."
A Reform spokesman countered: "Labour's campaign in Gorton and Denton truly must be on the ropes if they have had to resort to polling analysis by Matt from three years ago when the economy was in a much different place. We will take no lectures from a party under whose watch the economy has tanked. By voting Reform the voters of Gorton and Denton can get Keir Starmer out and help bring an end to this failed Labour government."
The by-election contest has intensified as both major parties seek to capitalise on these revelations, with economic policy and public service funding emerging as central battleground issues in the final campaign stages.
