‘Utterly broken’ Tories will soon descend into warfare, says Farage...

[dutchman]

Reform leader says splits in the party ‘will get worse’ as some members become ‘more vociferous’ about their opposing views



Nigel Farage could not be in better spirits. With a Cuban cigar in one hand and a glass of double gin and tonic in the other, he is relaxing on the terrace of his favourite Belgravia restaurant at the end of a long week.

And he has every reason to feel smug. The moment he had been waiting for - and Conservative party strategists had been dreading more than anything else - finally arrived: Reform UK overtook the Tories in an opinion poll for the first time.

Mr Farage hastily called a press conference to celebrate on Friday and then headed over to the exclusive Boisdale restaurant where we met for lunch.

The Reform party leader, who confounded expectations by making a return to frontline politics two weeks ago, claimed that his party overtaking the Tories in a YouGov poll was not only a pivotal moment in the election campaign, but in the battle for the future of the Right.

“Within a week, you watch, within a week there’ll be warfare within the Conservative Party as there was in the run-up to ‘97,” he said, referring to the 1997 general election when former prime minister Sir John Major was defeated in a landslide by the Labour party, ending 18 years of Conservative government.

“In the run-up to ‘97, John Major said that he was agnostic about joining the Euro. Those who wanted to join the Euro did their own manifesto and raised their own money. It was an absolutely split, divided joke and the same will happen in this election. You watch, it’s coming.

“You will start to see those MPs, who I agree with on most things, start becoming much more vociferous about their stance as opposed to that of the party. The splits are going to get worse. And to them, I will say: “Sorry guys, you are just in the wrong party.”

Mr Farage expands on his argument by pointing to a former Conservative minister who featured a picture of the two of them smiling together on her election leaflet. Dame Andrea Jenkyns, who is standing for election in the new seat of Leeds South West and Morley in West Yorkshire, included a photograph of herself with the Reform UK leader on her campaign material. Meanwhile, Rishi Sunak does not appear on the leaflet and nor is the Conservative Party mentioned.

“Andrea Jenkyns put my photograph on the leaflets - and texted me afterwards: ‘Do you like it?’ I like it, of course I do. But she didn’t ask me. That sums up where they are,” Mr Farage said.

Mr Farage is just as disparaging about Mr Sunak as he is about the Labour leader, Sir Keir Starmer, saying there is “absolute disenchantment” among the electorate with both leaders.

“One a slippery spinner,” he said, referring to Mr Sunak. “If net migration goes from 700,000 to 690,000 it’s a victory”.

Turning to Sir Keir, he said: “And the other just almost looks like he doesn’t want to be there. I’m sure he’s a nice bloke and everything but [he is] lifeless. No energy, no enthusiasm, no commitment. Clearly no fundamental beliefs in anything in particular. I mean he could be a Tory. Rather like Cameron could be Labour.”