Nigel Farage’s bombshell plan for a Reform-Tory pact | UK | News

Nigel Farage has reportedly told donors that he expects a deal or merger between the UK Reform Party and the Conservatives before the next general election, the Financial Times reported.

One donor has claimed Farage is waiting for a deal in the form of a merger or co-operation deal with the Tories to ease Reform’s path to election victory.

The donor added that the Reform leader allegedly insisted that any deal would suit his terms, partly because he felt betrayed by the Conservatives after the 2019 election deal.

Another staffer who met with Farage recently said the Reform chief described a merger or deal as inevitable but noted it could take time.

Farage allegedly argued that Reform’s stronger position meant any deal would favor his right-wing populist party.

Conservatives struggle as reform accelerates

The Conservative Party gets around 17 percent of the votes in the polls; They are on par with Labor and the Greens, their worst performance in decades; Reform is ahead with 29 percent.

Farage’s conversations with donors highlight the obstacles he faces in translating Reformation’s political momentum into actual power; because a divided right-wing vote could allow liberal and left-leaning voters to unite against his party.

However, Farage dismissed the reported conversations, telling the Financial Times that “sometimes people hear what they want”.

“After next May, the Conservatives will no longer be a national party,” Farage said, pointing to devolved elections in Scotland and Wales and local polls in England.

“I would never make a deal with a party I don’t trust. No deal, just a reverse takeover,” he continued. “Agreeing with them as it is would cost us our votes.”

The Conservatives have struggled to recover from their crushing defeat to Labor in last year’s election.

Reform gains ground with hardline stance

Reform has steadily eroded the Conservative Party’s support due to its tough stances on immigration and crime.

Farage accused the Conservatives of allowing record numbers of immigration to the UK post-2019 and claimed the policy betrayed the 2019 election agreement.

The Reform-led Brexit party helped Johnson win a huge Commons majority in 2019, beating out parliamentary candidates in seats where Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party had a good chance of beating Labour.

Since last year, Farage has invited 20 former Conservative MPs to join Reform, including former cabinet minister Nadine Dorries, a Johnson ally.

Departures rise but donors side with Tories

Danny Kruger became the first Tory to go to Reform in September. There were further departures on Monday, including former Conservative Party deputy leader Jonathan Gullis.

But as leader Kemi Badenoch’s performance appears to be improving, Conservative Party donors have remained largely loyal to the Conservatives, the UK’s oldest and most successful party.

According to Electoral Commission data, the Conservatives raised £6.3 million in the first half of the year; That’s three times Reform’s £2.1 million, which relies on a small group within the party.

Reform supporters see deal necessary

Some Reform supporters believe the party should strike a deal with the Conservative Party to avoid splitting the right-wing vote by competing for the same seats.

Under the United Kingdom’s first-past-the-post system, the candidate with the most votes gets the seat, even if there is not a majority. The next election is scheduled for August 2029.

“They’re going to have to come together,” said one reform donor. “The Conservatives have been a successful political party forever because the left has always been divided… The right can’t win if it’s divided.”

Badenoch rejected claims the Conservative Party could make a deal with Reform, saying earlier this year: “I’m the custodian of an institution that’s been around for almost 200 years… I can’t treat it like a toy and make deals and mergers.”

But last week he did not rule out some sort of power-sharing deal in Wales after the devolved election.

Tactical voting could block Farage

Anthony Wells, head of politics and elections at pollster YouGov, said Reform was “miles ahead in the polls” but tactical voting among more liberal and left-leaning voters could keep Farage out of power.

The YouGov poll also found that many Tory voters would not support Farage even if the alternative was Sir Keir Starmer’s Labor Party.

“There are some Conservatives who really don’t like Reformation, so there will be some leakage from right to left,” Wells said.