Two senior members of the Cambridge University Conservative Association (CUCA) are alleged to have attended a Reform UK rally in the East London borough of Romford on Monday (16/02).

Christian Calgie, a journalist covering the event for The Express, wrote on X that it was a “sign of the times” that the students travelled down for the event.

He said of CUCA: “Once a poaching ground for the brightest and best Tory MPs and ministers, one says its leadership is now crawling with Faragists.” Calgie added that one of the students told him that CUCA Chairman Oscar Lingwood is a supporter of Reform leader Nigel Farage. Lingwood denies knowledge of any members attending the rally.

Calgie told Varsity that the students said they were attending unofficially, but that “one of them – with access to CUCA’s social media log-ins – asked his mate whether he should put something on the group’s insta story.” Lingwood denies that this is the case, telling Varsity that only he, the communications officer, and the vice-chairman have access to the society’s Instagram page, and that none of them attended the rally.

Lingwood further told Varsity: “Any CUCA members who attended the Reform event yesterday did so in a purely private capacity. CUCA did not organise a trip to the event. As we are not formally affiliated with any political party, whether or not some members decided to go in a private capacity is neither your nor our concern. As the only openly right-wing and truly pro-free speech society in Cambridge, CUCA proudly reflects and welcomes a wide range of views.”

Responding to the news, the Cambridge University Labour Club (CULC) said: “Reform knows it’s not welcome in Cambridge and so is hiding under the Conservative name. It’s always horrible to hear that students are stoking the harmful politics of Reform, but given recent speaker invitations it is not surprising. Whatever they call themselves, it’s clear that CUCA sits not too far away from Reform’s vile policy platform.”

This comes after CUCA cancelled an event with the YouTuber Tom Roswell after CULC claimed he was linked to the “far right” and “eugenicists”. The Labour Club also participated in a protest against a CUCA event with Jack Anderton, a 25-year-old Reform UK advisor who has previously said Britain should “regain” some of its former colonies.

The Cambridge Young Greens also expressed concern about the news, saying: “It’s worrying to see students going to rally organised by a party that stands for hate, division, and scapegoating minorities.”

Meanwhile, the University of Cambridge Left Society commented: “When members of a society initially intended to represent the most successful political party in history treks [sic] down to Romford to attend its rivals on the right’s rally, something has gone seriously wrong.”

The Romford rally took place after Keir Starmer U-turned on his decision to postpone some local elections following the threat of legal action from Reform UK. At the event, Nigel Farage criticised the “14th major u-turn from this inept, useless, gutless, unpatriotic loser of a prime minister”.

He was joined by local MP Andrew Rosindell, who defected from the Tories to Reform last month. Rosindell told the crowd that a Reform government would allow constituents to vote on whether to leave Greater London and join Essex.

The rally comes as Reform is hoping to increase its number of East London councillors in the May elections, and challenge Sadiq Khan with their candidate for London mayor, Laila Cunningham.

Reform UK was contacted for comment.