Reform's MPs, candidates, activists and media cheerleaders need to realise that calling people stupid, gullible, racist, extremists, infiltrators or "that lot" is not going to win back a single vote.
You had millions of people behind you. Not because they worshipped politicians, but because they believed you were prepared to talk about subjects nobody else would touch. Then, instead of valuing that support, too many within Reform became arrogant and started treating loyal voters with contempt.
Nobody else caused this split. You did.
There is no point crying about Restore now, because Restore is the consequence of your own behaviour. People do not leave movements they feel respected by. They leave movements that treat them as a nuisance.
And doubling down with more insults only makes it worse.
You talk endlessly about Rupert's ego, yet Reform had an MP who was popular with the public, who tackled difficult subjects, took the grooming gangs scandal seriously, donated his parliamentary salary to charity, and was rapidly building support. Instead of recognising that you had an asset, you set about destroying him. Most voters neither know nor care about whatever internal history exists. They simply watched how he was treated and made their own judgement. That was not Rupert's ego on display. It was yours.
Then the same attitude was turned on your own supporters.
Reform have had a year to apologise, acknowledge mistakes and rebuild trust. Instead, many still cannot bring themselves to admit they got things wrong on vaccine mandates, on dismissing concerns about mass immigration, on deportations, or on the constant habit of sneering at people who raised concerns before it became politically fashionable to do so.
The public are not disappointed because they have changed. They are disappointed because you have.
And lecturing people for reacting to your own behaviour is not a strategy. It is certainly not a route back to government.
Respect is earned, not demanded. If you spend a year insulting your own voters, don't act surprised when they decide to vote for somebody else.