Nigel Farage hints he’s planning a ‘takeover’ of the Tory occasion
Nigel Farage has hinted he is planning a Tory ‘takeover’ after the general election.
The ex-UKIP leader, who is now Reform’s honorary president, said he wants to ‘reshape the centre right’ as he no longer has ‘any trust or love’ for the Conservatives.
His comments come as a new poll gave Labour its biggest lead since Liz Truss was prime minister with the Tories now 20 points behind their rivals.
Sir Keir Starmer‘s party is currently on 45 per cent while the Conservatives have dropped to 25 per cent, according to polling by the Observer on Sunday – in the latest concerning sign for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak and his election hopes.
Farage – who is not currently standing to become an MP – joined Reform leader Richard Tice on the campaign trail in Skegness, Lincolnshire on Saturday.
Nigel Farage has said he is planning a ‘Tory takeover’ after the general election
Farage – who is not currently standing to become an MP – joined Reform leader Richard Tice on the campaign trail in Skegness, Lincolnshire on Saturday
Nigel Farage previously declared he has ‘no interest’ in Reform UK striking a pre-election deal with the Tories – just a day after he claimed they ‘might have a conversation’
Close friends of Farage previously dismissed the idea that he wanted to completely cut ties with the Conservatives, with some hinting he wants the Conservatives to implode so he can swoop in as its saviour.
One told The Times: ‘He doesn’t want to be the person who puts the bullet in the back of their heads, why be seen to alienate Conservative voters?’
Another senior Tory described the Conservative Party under Margaret Thatcher as Farage’s ‘natural home’.
However, when the question of whether he was considering a merger was put directly to Farage himself, he dismissed it, saying it was ‘more like a takeover, dear boy’.
Earlier this week, Farage also declared he had ‘no interest’ in Reform UK striking a pre-election deal with the Tories.
He dismissed comments he previously made where he said they ‘might have a conversation’ as ‘deeply sarcastic’.
‘There is no deal with the Conservatives whatsoever,’ Mr Farage told a press conference in central London on May 30.
The Prime Minister has also ruled out a deal with Reform, despite the insurgent party putting huge pressure on the Tories over issues such as the Channel migrant crisis.
There are widespread fears among Conservative MPs that Reform’s pledge to stand in nearly every parliamentary constituency will deliver a massive boost to Labour.
Farage explained his decision not to run as a Reform candidate on The Sun’s Never Mind The Ballots show, blaming Sunak’s decision to go to the polls much earlier than most had expected.
He said: ‘I had a plan, actually. I’ll let you in on a secret. I was going to launch tomorrow – I had a venue booked, I had it all ready to go.
The Prime Minister has also ruled out a deal with Reform, despite the insurgent party putting huge pressure on the Tories over issues such as the Channel migrant crisis
‘But the problem is, you can’t win in a constituency – or it’s very difficult to win – without data.
‘It’s even harder to win when you’re Nigel Farage, because the other side will cheat.
‘There’ll be third party outside influencers, and I needed a really good run at this. And six weeks wasn’t enough.
‘I thought, well, rather than being stuck for six weeks in a constituency, why not travel around the country.
‘Not just supporting Reform candidates, but try and get a proper debate going.’
Reform UK is currently polling between 12 and 15 per cent but Farage has said that Tice’s party must reach 18 per cent if they are going to win seats in Parliament.
The right-wing party is offering tax cuts, the abolition of business rates for small businesses, and tax relief for private healthcare users in the draft of its July 2024 election manifesto.
Reform UK are also pledging to launch more public inquiries into Covid-19 and the rollout of the vaccine.
