The performative political dance that distracts from the truth: Reform UK proposed a policy, and everyone else is late to the party.
British politics is a fascinating exercise in reinvention. Policies appear, disappear, and reappear under different names, attached to different parties, depending on what’s politically convenient at the time.
Take the latest shift in government policy. The Labour government has now announced it will cut foreign aid and redirect the money to defence spending. This is interesting for two reasons. First, because Reform UK proposed exactly this in 2024 through the party's manifesto. And second, because Labour was against it—until now.
During the election, Reform UK set out a clear plan: cut foreign aid by 50%, as well as strengthening the UK’s military. It was a direct, strategic response to shifting global security concerns. The reaction? Labour dismissed it outright. The Conservatives ignored it. The media framed it as unrealistic.
And yet, here we are.
The Conservatives' Sudden Support for a Policy They Never Implemented
You might expect the Conservatives to challenge Labour on this remarkable policy reversal. But that would require consistency, and consistency would require memory, and memory would require acknowledging that they had 14 years to implement this policy and didn’t. Instead, they’ve decided to take credit for it.
Kemi Badenoch has now announced that she is “pleased” the Prime Minister has taken her advice in cutting foreign aid to fund defence. The same party that did nothing about this when in government now wants applause for influencing the Labour government into doing it.
It’s quite the performance:
- Labour is implementing a policy they once opposed.
- The Conservatives are claiming credit for a policy they never delivered.
- And Reform UK, the only party that actually proposed it first, has the receipts to prove it.
How Policy Ideas Conveniently Change Owners
This is how policymaking works in Britain:
- Reform UK proposes a policy. Labour and the Conservatives reject it. The media labels it "populist" or "reckless."
- Public opinion shifts. The idea becomes popular. Polls suggest people actually agree with Reform UK.
- The government adopts the policy. But there is no mention of where it came from. The policy is now "pragmatic" and "necessary."
- The opposition claims credit. The Conservatives insist they were behind it all along—despite never doing anything about it.
It’s a predictable process, and yet each time, the political class pretends it’s happening for the first time.
The Difference Between Proposing and Reacting
There is a key distinction between proposing an idea and reacting to it. Reform UK put forward this policy because it was the right thing to do. Labour adopted it not because they believed in it, but because they realised they had no better alternative. And the Conservatives are only supporting it now because they need to stay relevant.
The difference is clear: Reform UK leads the debate. The others just follow when it suits them.
This isn’t about party loyalty or political ideology. It’s about whether the people making decisions actually believe in the policies they are enacting—or whether they are just adopting them to keep up with the political winds.
The facts speak for themselves. This was Reform UK’s idea. It still is. Everyone else is just catching up.