Nigel Farage’s Reform UK has appeared to shut the door firmly on any idea of a pact with the Conservative Party – just days after a member of the shadow cabinet appeared to float the idea.
Shadow Treasury Minister Richard Fuller, speaking on GB News at the weekend, suggested the two parties needed to “unite” to defend their shared values.
He told Camilla Tominey: ”I think we should be worried about it, because obviously at the last election, with people voting for Reform and not voting Conservative, we’ve ended up with a Labour government with a very large majority that’s doing things that Reform voters and Conservative voters don’t think is right.
“Taking away the winter fuel allowance, it’s very damaging. The jobs tax is going to punish small businesses.
“So Mr Farage is talking big, but the fundamental maths of Westminster remains the same, which is that we have a Labour government and we need to unite as opposition parties to try and defend the values that we share.”
Nevertheless, pushed to state whether a formal alliance was needed, Mr Fuller appeared to downplay the idea, saying: “I don’t know about that.
“We saw that this week in the second reading of when Labour, trying to put through this jobs tax and we had Liberal Democrats, Conservatives, Democratic Unionists, Scottish Nationalists and Reform MPs all voting the same way.
“We all recognise that the main challenge for this country is the Labour government doesn’t seem to have a grip on the economy and it’s making some very poor choices and that’s where I think we need to put our heads together.”
FindOutNow poll last week suggested Mr Farage’s party (24 points) currently holds a narrow lead over Labour (23 points), and is just two points behind the Tories on 26 points – and a Reform UK spokesman suggested any team up is unlikely.
He explained: “As our leader Nigel Farage has stated many times, there will be no deal with the Conservative Party.
“Their brand is broken and their record of dishonesty and deceit is not something we align with.
“Reform UK has all the momentum in British politics and can win the next general election.”
Nigel Farage regards the Tories with open hostility for years, having quit their ranks in protest in 1992 after the Maastricht Treaty.
Nevertheless, in 2019, as leader of the Brexit Party, he stood down 317 candidates in Tory-held constituencies to prevent splitting the pro-Brexit vote, a move which significantly boosted Boris Johnson’s chances of securing a strong parliamentary majority.
Clacton MP Mr Farage has described this decision as a “huge favour” to the Conservatives, claiming it helped Johnson win a landslide victory – but has since accused them of failing to deliver on Brexit and other promises.
Mr, Farage has since voiced deep scepticism about doing them any more favours, despite suggesting he could be open to discussions if the Conservatives offered “something in return.”
He has pointed to his past support for the Tories but emphasised that any future agreement would require reciprocation.
Mr Farage has also dismissed speculation that personal incentives, such as a peerage, would sway his position, saying he has “turned all that rubbish down in the past”.
Reform deputy leader Richard Tice, the MP for Boston and Skegness, has also ruled out any deals, saying: “Tory MPs deserve to face redundancy for their woeful performance.”
