Richard Tice, leader of Reform UK, has been widely criticised for his misleading statements and opportunistic rhetoric on Brexit and the EU. His approach often resembles that of a disreputable used car salesman—offering grandiose promises, misrepresenting reality, and dodging scrutiny when challenged. Below, we explore specific instances where his tactics mirror those of someone trying to flog a dodgy old motor with a fresh coat of paint.
However, before we do, let’s see him in action. Here he inadvertently explains perfectly why, economically, the UK should be in the EU and should have never left.
The following enables the clueless to rid themselves of the ‘less’ and to substitute with ‘ed up.’.
1. Inflated Financial Promises: The £35 Billion Mirage
A hallmark of a dodgy salesman is making grand financial claims that fall apart under scrutiny. One of Tice’s most blatant examples came in 2024 when he and Nigel Farage presented Reform UK’s “contract with the people.” A key proposal was to cut the interest paid on reserves held by banks at the Bank of England, which Tice claimed would save Britain £35 billion per year.
This claim was swiftly debunked by leading economists. Analysis revealed that the real figure was closer to £3 billion—a tenth of what he had promised. Instead of admitting error, Tice arrogantly dismissed his critics as mathematically illiterate. This is classic dodgy salesman behaviour: plucking a massive, impressive number from thin air, selling it with confidence, and then brushing off inconvenient facts when confronted.
Much like an unscrupulous car dealer who slaps a “One Careful Owner” sign on a write-off, Tice presented this £35 billion claim as a game-changer for Britain’s finances, despite it being utterly detached from reality.
(See: GB News)
2. “No Deal Brexit”—Selling a Dud as a Premium Model
Another classic trick of an untrustworthy salesman is misrepresenting the quality of the product they’re pushing. Tice was one of the earliest and most vocal proponents of a “No Deal Brexit,” insisting that Britain would be perfectly fine if it left the EU without any agreements in place.
In 2016 and 2017, he repeatedly claimed that “No Deal is better than a bad deal,” assuring the public that trading on World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms would be a simple and beneficial alternative. He ignored all expert warnings about supply chain disruption, economic downturns, and the impact on industries such as farming and manufacturing.
Fast forward to Brexit’s aftermath, and what do we see? British businesses are drowning in red tape, supply chain issues are causing chaos, and the UK fishing industry (one of Brexit’s supposed big winners) is struggling under the weight of its new regulatory burden.
Like a second-hand car dealer who promises a motor will “run like a dream” before it breaks down five miles down the road, Tice knowingly sold the British public a dud, refusing to acknowledge or take responsibility for the predictable damage it caused.
3. Misleading Immigration Rhetoric—Emotional Manipulation Over Facts
Another favourite tactic of an unscrupulous salesman is playing on emotions rather than facts. Tice has mastered this approach when discussing immigration, particularly when it involves asylum seekers.
In one example, he shared a video of an asylum seeker complaining about accommodation, using it to push an anti-immigration narrative. The clip lacked crucial context, failing to mention the broader complexities of the UK’s asylum system or the real factors behind housing shortages.
By cherry-picking a single case and presenting it as the norm, Tice engaged in the same dishonest tactics as a used car salesman who zooms in on one shiny feature of a car—while hiding the rust underneath.
His approach is not about serious policy discussion but about emotional manipulation: stoking public anger without offering real solutions.
(See: The Guardian)
4. Evading Accountability—The Classic Salesman Dodge
When a used car dealer is caught out in a lie, they will dodge the question, change the subject, or attack the person calling them out. Tice is no different.
For example, when confronted about Reform UK’s lack of fully costed policies, he regularly shifts the conversation to attacking the “Westminster elite” or the “mainstream media.” Instead of answering direct questions, he pivots to victimhood, claiming that his party is being “silenced” or “unfairly treated”—even when given a platform on national television.
This is a textbook distraction technique: instead of defending his false claims, he attacks the people questioning him, much like a dodgy car dealer who, when challenged on a faulty engine, starts ranting about how “the big dealerships are ripping people off.”
Selling Brexit Snake Oil
Richard Tice’s approach to politics follows the well-worn path of a corrupt salesman:
- Overpromising & underdelivering (Brexit, £35 billion savings)
- Misrepresenting the truth (No Deal Brexit, immigration)
- Evading responsibility (Blaming critics instead of addressing policy failures)
Like the worst kind of used car salesman, he thrives on convincing people to buy into a dream—only for them to realise, too late, that they’ve been taken for a ride.
