In a blistering broadside that exposes the raw nerves within the Conservative campaign, senior Tory and former Brexit Secretary David Davis has launched an extraordinary attack on Nigel Farage, declaring that a vote for his Reform UK party is effectively a vote for Labour.
The intervention, one of the most direct and damning from a respected Conservative figure, lays bare the party's mounting panic over the threat Farage poses to their vote share. Davis pulled no punches, stating that supporting Reform is the political equivalent of 'handing Keir Starmer the keys to Number 10'.
The Tory Fear Factor
Davis's comments, made during a campaign event, frame the upcoming election as a binary choice. He argued that in Britain's first-past-the-post system, a vote for any party other than the Conservatives is a vote that actively helps the Labour Party secure a massive parliamentary majority.
'This is not a protest vote,' Davis warned potential Reform supporters. 'It is a vote that will have a direct and concrete consequence: putting Labour in power.' His language underscores a significant strategic shift within the Tory campaign, which is now openly treating Farage as a greater immediate threat than the Liberal Democrats.
Farage's Comeback and the Tory Civil War
The assault from Davis highlights the deep internal divisions and anxiety sparked by Farage's dramatic return to the political frontline. Having taken over as leader of Reform UK and announced his intention to stand as a candidate in Clacton, Farage has successfully pulled the political conversation back towards issues like immigration and net zero.
This has forced the Conservatives into a defensive posture, scrambling to protect their right flank and prevent a haemorrhage of votes that could see dozens of seats fall to Labour. Davis's remarks are a clear attempt to rally the 2019 Tory coalition by presenting the election as an existential fight for the future of the country.
The public nature of this attack suggests that behind the scenes, Tory strategists are viewing the Reform surge with genuine alarm, fearing it could be the decisive factor that delivers a historic defeat on July 4th.
