Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has launched a blistering attack on the party’s former co-deputy leader Ben Habib, warning him that he’s got “too big for his boots”.

The pair recently disagreed on how Reform is run, with Mr Habib echoing tech billionaire Elon Musk’s calls for a new party leader, claiming currently it’s “king Nigel and everyone has to do what he says, when he says it”. He named Rupert Lowe as an option.

Mr Habib told the Express: “Unless and until there is a democratisation of the party, with checks and balances brought into place, a broader team of people created, Reform UK is only Nigel Farage. That is the beginning and end and all of it, frankly.

“If there was a mechanism by which leadership could change then Rupert Lowe would be a fantastic leader.”

In response, Mr Farage appeared on Nick Ferrari’s LBC radio show and was quizzed on Mr Habib being thrown from the party in favour of Richard Tice. When asked how much of a loss Mr Habib was, Mr Farage brutally responded: “None whatsover.”

The Reform leader also suggested he had no say in Mr Habib being appointed co-deputy leader of the party alongside David Bull in 2023.

Mr Farage continued: “I appointed logically Richard Tice as deputy leader and Mr Habib did not like that and has fought against us ever since. Sometimes people get too big for their own boots.”

Mr Habib has since responded, saying Mr Farage’s comments “did make me laugh”. He continued: “Nigel’s comments about me did make me laugh. I wholeheartedly agree that sometimes in politics ‘people get too big for their own boots’.

“As Nick Ferrari stated, my fundamental disagreement with Nigel is that he is in total control of Reform UK. It has no democracy and no checks and balances in place.

“Even if their no constitution is one day adopted, that will not change the situation. The consitution is fixed in Nigel’s favour. He doesn’t trust his members.”

Mr Farage has also recently clashed with Mr Musk. After the Reform leader maintained that Tommy Robinson has no place in his party, Mr Musk seemingly withdrew his support for the Clacton MP and called for a new party leader.

Mr Farage said: “I have no desire to go to war with Elon Musk and I’m not going to, and I haven’t done. I’m a huge admirer of him, I think he’s an heroic figure.”

“Not having Elon’s support would damage us with that younger generation because he kind of makes us look cool, so I’m being frank about that and I am confident that whatever has been said, we can mend. I really think we can.

“It’s not crucial. I mean look, if I was to embrace, as it looks like I was being urged to do, the sort of violent thuggish people like (Tommy) Robinson, that would do our party immense harm, and probably rightly so.

“So the fact that I’ve stood up on a point of principle, even if in the short term its to my detriment, in the long run may even work in our favour.”