It hasn’t been a glittering 24 hours for Reform UK. To lose one senior official might be regarded as misfortune etc.

This time last year, Reform was ahead in the polls as it sought to capitalise on the slow downfall of Keir Starmer, but now find themselves struggling in the polls

"The conference - the party's biggest yet, presumably booked in before they started slipping dramatically in the polls - doesn't even kick off properly until Friday"