By Ahmed Abdelsalam
Nigel Farage has appointed former RAF Wing Commander Angus MacIntyre as Reform UK's new armed forces spokesman, aiming to counter criticism that the party does not take defence seriously. The announcement comes after months of scrutiny over Farage's past praise for Vladimir Putin and concerns about the party's defence credibility.
MacIntyre's military and NATO background
MacIntyre ended a 40-year military career last week to take the role. His service began in the British Army in 1986, including deployments to Northern Ireland, Brunei, Afghanistan, Iraq, and Somalia. Most recently, he spent four years at NATO headquarters in Brussels focusing on UK support to Ukraine following Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022.
Addressing defence credibility concerns
Farage has faced difficult questions over comments made days after Russia's invasion of Ukraine, when he said he "understood" Putin's annexation of Crimea and viewed him as a "rational player." Former Reform Welsh leader Nathan Gill was also imprisoned for taking bribes from Moscow. Reform sources acknowledged ongoing concerns about Farage's "lack of interest" in defence.
MacIntyre's vision for defence
Confirming his appointment, MacIntyre said he answered Farage's call for people with real-world experience to "fix broken Britain." He argued that both Labour and Conservative governments have overseen military decline, and that only Reform UK can rebuild the armed forces. Farage stated MacIntyre has more experience than the entire government defence team combined.
Divergence on women in combat roles
MacIntyre disagrees with Farage and senior Reform figures on female recruits. As chairman of the RAF Commando Association in March 2024, he advocated supporting women through commando training. In contrast, Farage said in 2010 he did not want women in combat roles, and deputy leader Richard Tice recently mocked a female station commander as an "HR manager."
Parliamentary defence representation gap
Despite the appointment, Reform has not named a full-time defence spokesperson in parliament or assigned any MP to lead on the issue. Analysis shows Reform MPs participated in only 30% of defence-related debates and questions since the 2024 election. Farage himself took part in just 10 defence debates, nine concerning the Chagos Islands.
Conservative criticism
Tory shadow armed forces minister Mark Francois welcomed MacIntyre's service but noted he is not a parliamentarian and cannot hold Ministry of Defence ministers to account in the Commons. The Conservatives argue Reform lacks a mechanism to scrutinise defence policy effectively.
