All eight Reform UK MPs now have 24-hour security, according to an announcement by Runcorn and Helsby MP Sarah Pochin.
Pochin said security for the party’s MPs had been stepped up since the death of Ann Widdecombe. Widdecombe, a former Tory minister and Reform’s immigration and justice spokeswoman, was killed at her home in July.
‘Very, very intrusive’ security
Pochin said the arrangements had had a severe impact on her family life. She said her two sons, aged 25 and 27, were upset when she visited them with security protection and had asked her to stop what she was doing because they believed it could not be worth risking her life.
During a recent holiday in North Wales, Pochin said two security guards accompanied her and her husband while they walked their dogs along a coastal path. She said her husband was nervously holding her hand during the walk.
She also said the security was very intrusive and meant she could no longer go clothes shopping or make-up shopping, and could not easily visit Sainsbury’s because of the risk to her and her family. Despite the restrictions, Pochin said she would never be silenced.
Reform’s security concerns
The Independent reported that Reform UK leader Nigel Farage complained earlier in 2026 that his security had been cut back. He subsequently met the Royal and VIP Executive Committee, which is responsible for the security of high-profile figures.
Pochin entered Parliament in 2025 after winning a by-election. Before that, she worked for Shell, served as a justice of the peace, and was a Conservative councillor and mayor of Cheshire East.
She was Reform UK’s first female MP. Former Tory minister Suella Braverman later joined the party after defecting in January.
Pochin criticises Westminster ‘chauvinism’
Pochin said Westminster was the most chauvinistic place where she had ever worked, adding that she had been surprised when men dropped doors in her face.
She said strong female voices and a strong presence in Parliament were the way to overcome the chauvinism she described, and urged women to join her, Suella Braverman and other women in Parliament.
Source: The Independent UK
