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  "path": "/politics/reform-uk-boris-johnson-ally-ben-goldsmith-dropped-environment",
  "publishedAt": "2026-02-12T19:34:39.000Z",
  "site": "https://www.gbnews.com",
  "tags": [
    "BBC plots £500million of cuts hours after date set for Donald Trump courtroom showdown",
    "Teachers MUST allow children to choose their own gender under Labour's trans guidance",
    "Keir Starmer loses third Downing Street aide in one week as PM fights for his political survival",
    "The GB News Editorial Charter"
  ],
  "textContent": "\n\n\nReform UK has distanced itself from former Boris Johnson ally and Conservative environmentalist Ben Goldsmith after farmers objected to his rewilding advocacy.\n\nNigel Farage is understood to have abandoned plans for him to develop the party's environmental strategy ahead of the next general election, weeks after the two discussed policy proposals.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nDeputy leader Richard Tice dismissed any prospect of collaboration with Mr Goldsmith, declaring: \"Farmers can trust Reform.\"\n\nThe party has pledged to instead consult \"experienced farmers, land managers, and industry experts\" when shaping its countryside policies.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nTRENDING\n\nStories\n\nVideos\n\nYour Say\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Goldsmith, a financier and wildlife campaigner, co-founded the Conservative Environment Network in 2010.\n\nThe brother of Tory peer Lord Goldsmith, he served as an adviser to the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs from 2018 to 2022.\n\nMr Farage and Reform UK policy adviser James Orr had enlisted him to work on issues such as fishing rights and green belt protection.\n\nHe submitted a detailed document to the Reform leader, in which he urged Mr Farage to make \"the patriotic case for nature\", framing conservation as central to British heritage and national identity.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nThe recommendations included removing foreign fishing vessels from UK waters, championing native species reintroduction, and increasing penalties for fly-tipping.\n\nHowever, the National Gamekeepers Organisation reportedly raised concerns about Goldsmith's involvement in shaping Reform's rural agenda.\n\nCritics argue that rewilding removes agricultural land from production by allowing it to return to a wild state.\n\nMr Goldsmith has rewilded his own Somerset farm and built a reputation as a prominent advocate for the practice.\n\n### LATEST DEVELOPMENTS\n\n\n\n\n  * BBC plots £500million of cuts hours after date set for Donald Trump courtroom showdown\n  * Teachers MUST allow children to choose their own gender under Labour's trans guidance\n  * Keir Starmer loses third Downing Street aide in one week as PM fights for his political survival\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nWhile supporters say rewilding benefits wildlife, opponents contend it undermines food production.\n\nReform had initially hoped Mr Goldsmith's environmental credentials would help attract green-minded Conservative voters.\n\nInternal research showed 80 per cent of Reform supporters care deeply about nature, while polling indicated environmentally conscious Tories remained reluctant to back Mr Farage's party.\n\nWelsh sheep farmer Gareth Wyn Jones welcomed the decision, stating: \"It was time Goldsmith was taken out of the equation. He doesn't represent the average family farmer.\"\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n###\n\n\n\n\nMr Jones added: \"Goldsmith was definitely not the guy to be giving Reform any advice.\"\n\nTim Bonner, chief executive of the Countryside Alliance, emphasised that rural areas would prove crucial at the next election.\n\nHe warned that parties seeking to restore trust with countryside communities must recognise that rural Britain is \"a full-time place of work, not a laboratory\".\n\nSpeaking to The Telegraph, Mr Bonner cautioned ignoring farmers would fail to improve biodiversity or resolve food production challenges.\n\n###\n\n\n\n\n**Our Standards:The GB News Editorial Charter**",
  "title": "Reform drops ex-Boris Johnson ally just days after enlisting him to help with green policies after farmers complained"
}