Rishi Sunak has received a major general election boost after Nigel Farage hinted about his political future.
The former UKIP leader has suggested he will not return to frontline politics at the next general election as he pointed to “attractive options” in the US that might keep him away from returning to a full-time role with Reform UK the party he co-founded in 2018.
It is thought the Conservative Party is fearful Farage joining Reform would boost the rival party’s popularity by leading their election campaign.
The hint comes after Thursday’s Blackpool South by-election, in which the Conservatives only beat Reform by 117 votes in a contest won by Labour.
But speaking to the Telegraph from the US, Farage said he felt the next US election would be more important than the one in his home country.
He said: “Yes, we’ve got an election year, but the biggest election in the world is taking place here. While I’m not ruling out anything in the UK completely, I think where I am this week is an indication of my thinking.”
Farage was asked if he was closing the door on a UK political return, with the 60-year-old politician adding “that is a good summation”, while not totally ruling out a return.
He added: “As I’ve said for some time, I’m weighing up a lot of options. Perhaps I’m in the fortunate position that I have a lot of attractive options this side of the pond.”
He added: “The Republicans really treat me like an American, they really do. I’ve been commuting back and forth politically for a long time.”
Farage is backing Donald Trump for re-election and hailed how “everything here feels so much more positive”.
He spent last week in the US while voters in England and Wales went to the polls in local, mayorla and police and crime commissioner elections, as well as in the Blackpool South parliamentary contest.
Farage told the Telegraph: “I think the conservative movement in America has got the wind back in their sails.
“I think the causes they’re fighting are similar to ours. There is a huge level of cross-over. It is just an exciting place to be at the moment.”
