Conservatives warned over ‘huge’ support for Farage’s Reform Party

Tories warned over Nigel Farage 'returning to the fray'

We use your sign-up to provide content in ways you’ve consented to and to improve our understanding of you. This may include adverts from us and 3rd parties based on our understanding. You can unsubscribe at any time. More info

The caller told the broadcaster and radio host Lewis Goodall that pro-Brexit campaigners like Nigel Farage, Richard Tice and pro-free speech advocate Lawrence Fox could combine to make the next general election a real headache for the Tories. The Conservative Party are considering bringing Boris Johnson back as a leader in the wake of Liz Truss’ resignation amid signs that disaffected tory voters are ditching the party and turning to an alternative such as the Farage-founded party, Reform UK. 

Mr Goodall told the caller: “Mr Farage is making some very interesting noises right now about his potential return to the fray to the arena.”

Delroy calling on from Brexton replied: ” Yes, you’re quite right. There’s been a huge uptick in people joining the Reform UK party under Richard Tice, I think as Nigel says he needs a lot more heavyweight faces to join in. He can’t do it on his own.

“But I think there are a lot of disaffected Tory voters or right now signing up for the report of UK party and if Lawrence Fox joins them, then it’ll wipe out top Tories for well, they probably won’t even..I was gonna say for generations, but it’ll be forever because they’ll never come back after this.

“After what they did to grannies and people not being allowed to visit their grannies while they’re lording it up!

“There’s no way the British people don’t have to give that, never!”

By Friday four senior Conservative ministers had thrown their weight behind Mr Johnson returning as prime minister.

Former defence minister Penny Mordaunt became the first candidate to officially declare, but Johnson and Rishi Sunak, once his finance minister, led potential contenders as candidates canvassed support ahead of voting next week.

With the Conservatives holding a large majority in parliament and able to ignore calls for a general election for another two years, the new party leader will become prime minister – Britain’s fifth in six years.

Those seeking to replace Truss, who quit on Thursday after six chaotic weeks, must secure 100 nominations from Conservative lawmakers by Monday. Truss herself succeeded Johnson after he was ousted by his colleagues in July.

Truss: Boris Johnson ‘loving it’ says Jon Craig

The party hopes the contest will revive its ailing fortunes.

Opinion polls suggest the Conservatives would be all but wiped out if a national election were held now.

Johnson has not formally announced he will run but momentum was growing behind him, with business minister Jacob Rees-Mogg, levelling-up minister Simon Clarke and president of the COP26 climate conference Alok Sharma giving him their backing.

Influential defence minister Ben Wallace said he was leaning towards supporting the former leader.

DON’T MISS
HSBC issues alert as widow scammed out of £100,000 [ANALYSIS]
Pensioners could get ‘7% risk-free income in retirement’ [INSIGHT]
500,000 people hit with ‘acute’ pension pain after ‘turbulent 10 days’ [UPDATE]

A return to the top would be an extraordinary comeback for Johnson, who remains popular with party members although a YouGov poll of 3,429 adults conducted on Friday found 52 percent of Britons would be unhappy to see him return as prime minister.

Conservative lawmaker James Duddridge said Johnson told him he is “is up for it” and the former leader will fly back to Britain on Saturday from a holiday in the Caribbean.

But some queried whether Johnson, who left office comparing himself to a Roman dictator twice brought into power to fight crises, could clinch 100 nominations. His three-year premiership was blighted by scandals and allegations of misconduct.

The former Conservative leader William Hague said Johnson’s return is possibly the worst idea he’s heard in almost half a century as a party member. He said it would lead to a “death spiral” for the Conservatives.

Source: Read Full Article