I had to fly to the UK for the campaign in Clacton because had Nigel Farage not won there, the UK was finished.

Farage’s start-up party, Reform UK, will soon be speaking in Parliament for more than half of the UK population who believe in massively lowering immigration, lowering taxes, cutting regulations and taxes for small and medium businesses, being proud of the country’s history, and teaching kids the basics rather than contested woke ideology.

The electorate of Clacton in Essex mirrored the seat of Point Cook in many respects – with working-class Jaywick being similar on the doorstep to much of Altona Meadows, and wealthy Frinton reflecting many of the qualities of Sanctuary Lakes.

Reform’s policy of raising the tax-free threshold to £20,000 ($A38,000) to encourage people off benefits and into work was universally popular in Jaywick, while the bonfire of regulations and simplifying of the tax structure for businesses was a vote-winner in Frinton, where the defeated Conservative MP Giles Watling lives.

Reform has policies that appeal to every demographic because they are driven by common sense, not ideology.

This was a new party in Reform winning five seats in its first election, up against the established giant and wealthy red and blue parties in a first-past-the-post election. To put this into perspective, the Teals would have won no seats in the 2022 Federal Election had it been first past the post, and the Australian Democrats never won a lower house seat.

Now that there is proof of concept and it has a presence in Parliament, Reform UK is in pole position to cause a political earthquake in 2029 and win the next UK election.

Having Conservative Prime Ministers who aren’t conservative (such as Boris Johnson and Rishi Sunak who believe in high taxes, mass low-skilled migration, putting ideology ahead of energy security, and not fighting wokery and the culture wars), has been a master class in how to alienate all the people who delivered the Conservative victory in 2019, which was based on a conservative manifesto that was subsequently shredded.

The Federal Liberals should count themselves lucky to have a conviction conservative in Peter Dutton who is prepared to argue for lower taxes, for the reduction of low-skilled migration, for energy security and price reductions through a mix that includes nuclear power, for safe spaces for women, and to be proud of our country.

The demise of Johnson, Sunak, and the Conservative Party is a cautionary tale for the Victorian Liberals who have a Labor-lite leader in John Pesutto. Like Johnson and Sunak, Pesutto is in the wrong party and can only lead the Liberals in Victoria into oblivion.

If the Victorian Liberals embrace a conservative, conviction politician in the mould of John Howard or Jeff Kennett, they will win the 2026 election.

Entrepreneur Zia Yusuf and Professor Matt Goodwin did not stand in this election, but I firmly believe that Nigel will promote one of them to become party leader before the next election. They are young and dynamic and the future of the party. Nigel recognises their qualities and will do whatever it takes to win in 2029 and save Britain from high taxes, mass low-skilled immigration, and managed decline.

Nigel isn’t the caricature that critics portray him as. He puts country before himself and he is pro-immigration. Every year, 500,000 people leave the UK and he wants 500,000 high-skilled immigrants, exceptional students, and genuine refugees to replace them annually.

Nigel loves cricket, likes nothing better than a good laugh, has an incredible knowledge of the first world war, and is obsessed with telling the truth. If Fox Cricket wants to liven up its Ashes coverage in 2025-26, it should invite Nigel into the commentary box for the Boxing Day Test.

Angela Newhouse was the Liberal candidate for Point Cook in the 2022 Victorian Election.