Nigel Farage has reportedly told donors that a deal or merger between his Reform UK party and the Conservatives is expected before the next general election. According to the Financial Times, Reform donors said Farage described such an agreement as 'inevitable', though he cautioned it would take time due to his wariness over a pact.
Farage told the FT: 'Sometimes people hear what they want to. After next May the Conservatives will no longer be a national party. I would never do a deal with a party that I do not trust. No deals, just a reverse takeover.' A Conservative spokesperson dismissed the idea, stating: 'Under Kemi Badenoch’s leadership the Conservatives will not be considering any deals or pacts. Reform want higher welfare spending and to cosy up to Putin.'
Reform has attracted several former Conservative MPs, including Jonathan Gullis, Danny Kruger, Nadine Dorries, Jake Berry, and Maria Caulfield. However, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has previously ruled out pacts, saying: 'I am the custodian of an institution that has existed for nigh on 200 years … I can’t just treat it like it’s a toy and have pacts and mergers.'
Despite Reform's strong polling, the Conservatives have maintained donor support, raising £6.3 million in the first half of the year, three times Reform's £2.1 million. A Labour spokesperson criticised the potential deal, warning it would mean 'savage cuts to local schools and hospitals' and accusing Farage of a 'shady backroom plot'.
