Asked about the threat posed to the Tories by Mr Farage making a return to frontline politics, Mr Sunak said: “The choice at the next election, either I’m going to be Prime Minister at the end of it, or Keir Starmer is going to be Prime Minister at the end of it.”
Reform UK, formerly the Brexit Party, is currently polling at around 10 per cent with Richard Tice at the helm. But pollsters say the party would be boosted if Mr Farage returned as leader.
The Brexit architect has refused to confirm whether he will make a sensational political comeback before the next general election, expected this year.
Speaking at a press conference on Wednesday, his close ally Mr Tice he was “very confident” Mr Farage will play a role for Reform as he eyes a return to frontline politics.
He said Mr Farage is “working out what he wants to do what he feels able to do” after coming third on I’m A Celebrity… Get Me Out Of Here.
Mr Tice said: “He’s got lots of other commitments and a good poker player keeps their cards close to their chest and plays them at the right time, and he’s the master of political timing.”
Nigel Farage has fumed that Rishi Sunak may need to be “taught an unforgettable lesson”. The former Ukip leader hit out at the Prime Minister after he warned a vote for anyone but the Tories at the next general election is a vote for Labour leader Sir Keir Starmer.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Mr Farage said: “Rishi Sunak comes out with the same drivel we get from the Tories at every election. It is as if the Conservatives think they have a divine right to exist and not be challenged.
“Even when I did help them in 2019, they squandered the opportunity to change our country. His constant lies and spin on everything from tax to the Channel crossings are making me think that perhaps he needs to be taught an unforgettable lesson.”
Mr Farage’s latest criticism of Mr Sunak comes amid intense speculation over whether he will make a political comeback as leader of Reform UK.
In an interview with the Sunday Telegraph, the PM insisted that a vote for the right-wing party would help hand Sir Keir the keys to 10 Downing Street.
