Reform UK leader Nigel Farage has ruled out any electoral pact with the incoming Conservative leader, insisting his aim is to replace the Tories. Speaking on ITV’s Good Morning Britain on Wednesday, Farage said the Conservative brand was 'completely damaged' and that the party had 'no chance of winning the next election'.
Farage's comments came as the four contenders to succeed Rishi Sunak – Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Robert Jenrick and Tom Tugendhat – prepared to address the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham. The party suffered a heavy defeat to Labour in the last general election, slumping to 121 MPs, while Reform UK secured five seats.
Farage expressed distrust towards the Conservatives, stating: 'I wouldn’t trust them anyway – they have a pattern of behaviour pretending to be one thing and then when they’re in government, being quite the opposite.' He reiterated that his goal with Reform is to replace the Conservatives entirely.
Meanwhile, shadow home secretary James Cleverly was expected to issue a warning to his rivals not to try to outflank Farage on the Right. In his conference speech, Cleverly planned to say: 'We will not win back voters by pretending to be something we’re not. We win back voters by being honest, by being professional, by being Conservative.' He added that Reform 'didn’t deliver Brexit, we did' and that he would 'beat Reform by being the best version of ourselves'.
