Seven out of 10 Tories believe party will prop up a Farage government
An overwhelming majority of Conservative Party members believe their party should support a Reform government led by Nigel Farage after the next election, according to a new poll.
Survey of Conservative Party members ConHome The website states that although the two party leaderships attack each other, they believe the two should work together after the next election.
When asked whether Nigel Farage would become prime minister after the next election, 53.9 percent of respondents said it was either very likely (15.8 percent) or likely (38.1 percent).
Asked later what kind of government would be needed to keep Mr Farage’s Reform Party in power, 24.4 per cent of respondents supported forming a coalition with the Conservative Party and 45 per cent supported a trust and supply arrangement between the Conservative Party and Reform.
This meant almost seven in 10 Tories believed their party should help Mr Farage into Downing Street, while a majority of the rest (25 per cent) thought he would have an overall majority and would not need their support.
The findings appear to dovetail with pressure from former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, who spoke at the Reform conference but remained in the Conservative Party, pressuring the two to cooperate.
This also comes as polls show the Conservative Party is on the verge of being destroyed at the polls.
With Kemi Badenoch’s leadership in question, the Conservatives will win just 14 seats if a general election is held now, according to the poll circulated at Conservative Party headquarters and leaked online. Daily Telegraph.
But Ms Badenoch, embarrassed by high-profile departures from her party, refused to endorse a deal with Reform and attacked the party’s policies.
Reform also attacked the Conservatives and insisted a deal was not possible.
Responding to the poll, Mr Farage’s ally Zia Yusuf rejected any deal.
He said: “The Conservative party is dead. A vote for the Conservative Party is a vote in vain, as evidenced in the nationwide election. They will be destroyed again in May and cease to be a national party. Anyone who wants to secure borders, deport illegals and keep the radical left out should vote for Reform.”
The Conservatives refused to respond to the survey. However, it was also revealed that two-thirds of the 590 party members surveyed believed there would be more senior party defections.
It comes after MP Danny Kruger left to join Reform alongside former ministers Sir Jake Berry, Dame Andrea Jenkyns and Nadine Dorries, among other former MPs.
ConHome editor Giles Dilnot said: “Nothing is truly inevitable in politics, but a picture of the future is starting to form among Tory party members.
“We don’t know if it’s a picture they want, or just a picture they see as the most likely reality. They say a week is a long time in politics and we’ve got years to go, but the picture painted for the Tory leader is pretty grim.”
