Farage ‘open-minded’ about joining Tories but only after election
NIGEL FARAGE has said he is “openminded” about joining the Conservative Party after the next general election as he pushes for a “major” realignment of the Right.
The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader, who is the honorary president of Tory rivals Reform UK, hinted at a move ahead of his attendance at a launch event for the new Popular Conservatism group tomorrow.
Liz Truss, the former prime minister, Sir Jacob Rees-mogg, the former business secretary, and Lee Anderson, who quit as deputy Tory chairman over the Rwanda Bill, will all speak.
The group is attempting to push the Tories further right on issues such as the scale of tax cuts and a willingness to consider leaving the European Convention on Human Rights. Mr Farage will be in the audience, attending in his role as a GB News presenter rather than speaking from the stage.
But his presence has renewed speculation about whether he hopes one day, like Donald Trump did with the Republicans in America, to attempt a populist takeover of the Conservatives, as suspected by some Number 10 insiders.
Speaking to The Daily Telegraph, Mr Farage said he would not try to join the Tories before the election, which is expected this autumn, saying he disagreed with too many of their policies.
However, when asked if he could seek to join the party after the election, Mr Farage did not rule out such a move, arguing it depended on how the Right of British politics realigned. “I think we just have to wait to see,” Mr Farage said. “I’m open-minded about anything that happens after the election.”
In 2019, the Brexit Party, then led by Mr Farage, agreed to stand down candidates in seats held by the Tories to help Boris Johnson get enough MPS to pass a deal to take the UK out of the EU. But ahead of this election, Reform, the Brexit Party’s successor led by Richard Tice, has made no such promise.
Support for Reform has surged in recent months amid Tory infighting over direction. The Daily Telegraph’s election poll tracker has the party on 10 per cent and the Tories on 25 per cent. The Labour Party remains way out ahead on 45 per cent.
Mr Farage said that leading members of the new Popular Conservatives group, dubbed “Pop Con” by some, are arguing for similar policy stances that have been adopted by Reform. He said: “I think there is the possibility of a post-election major realignment occurring and I can see Pop Con potentially as being part of that process.”
Only Conservative MPS can run to be party leader. Should Mr Farage seek to become a Tory member or a Tory MP after the election, the party leadership would have to approve it.
Mr Anderson, one of the speakers on stage tomorrow, indicated yesterday that he would not oppose such a move.
The breadth of support on the Tory benches for the Popular Conservatism remains unclear. Already five Tory groups are occupying similar political space. Sir Jacob Rees-mogg is expected to make the case for the new group in his speech.