There is a 70% chance of the Conservatives and Reform UK merging before the next general election, according to a senior Tory MP.
Sir Edward Leigh, who is the Father of the House as the longest-serving male parliamentarian, predicted that the two Right-wing parties were likely to team up.
Asked what he thought the odds were on a merger, Sir Edward told GB News’s Chopper’s Political Podcast: “Oh, I think very high.”
Pressed if it was “odds on”, he added: “70% I should think. Or if not merger [a deal of some sort].”
Sir Edward also said he had “no idea” if Kemi Badenoch would lead the Tories into the next election, due by 2029.
He said: “I have no idea. I wish her well. But I have to say going back in history we did burn through three leaders after we lost badly in 1997 before we got to one who won.
“So, whoever is leader at the moment, and by the way if Robert Jenrick had won people would be criticising him and saying he is a Tory boy, he is out of touch.
“So who knows who is going to lead us into the next [election] but I wish her well.”
It comes after Mrs Badenoch earlier this month insisted the idea of an agreement with Nigel Farage’s party was “for the birds”.
Ms Badenoch said striking a deal with Reform would drive away Tory voters who did not want to see her “get into bed” with the Clacton MP.
She told The Telegraph: “The Conservative Party is a broad church. When we had disagreements, what people saw was disunity. We’ve now got a place where we are unified.
“The idea that you just do something with a whole different bunch of people and it’s going to be fine is for the birds. Politics just doesn’t work like that.
“There are many people who vote Conservative, who, if they think that we’re having mergers or pacts or whatever with Reform, will go elsewhere.”
Reform leader Mr Farage has also ruled out a pact with the Conservatives.
It comes as the insurgent party, which returned five MPs at the last election, is leading some national opinion polls.