I know Nigel Farage – he’s no friend to the Tories

In May last year, Nigel Farage declared that Reform UK was becoming “a brand-new Conservative movement”. Soon after, his party won a record four million votes at the general election, resulting in five MPs, while the Conservatives were handed their worst-ever result at the ballot box.The Tories now have a new leader, Kemi Badenoch, but are still struggling to revive the party and see off the threat of Reform.

Both Reform and Farage are polling higher than the Tories and Badenoch.A number of commentators and Tory figures have suggested an alliance between Reform and the Tories could be the boost the Conservatives need. So do the Tories need to work with Nigel Farage? Farage-fan Julie Burchill, former Conservative chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng and pollster Holly Day give their perspective.



“Being leader of the opposition is the hardest job in government.” I remember David Cameron saying this when he filled that unenviable role in 2005.Of course, the situation Conservative Party leader Kemi Badenoch finds herself in is worse than what Cameron faced at the time.

The political scene is far more complicated, more fraught with anxiety and danger. Brexit, Donald Trump and his tariffs, the war in Ukraine and the Covid-19 pandemic have all made the world of the 2020s infinitely more difficult.Moreover, in 2005, the right was not divided.

The populist surge which has swept much of the Western world had not happened. Donald Trump was still a reality TV host. The situation for Badenoch, and indeed for most centre-right leaders in the economically more developed world, has worsened.

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addToArray({"pos": "inread-hb-ros-inews"}); }There is now the threat from the populist right. In the UK that is in the form of Nigel Farage and Reform UK, who are above the Tories and just behind Labour in the opinion polls. Farage’s party are the favourite to win the Runcorn and Helsby by election in May at the bookies.

Reform contributed to the rout of the Conservatives at the last general election by effectively splitting the centre-right/right vote. The opposite happened in 2019, when Farage stood down his candidates in Tory-held seats and helped Boris Johnson win a landslide victory.It is because of this that suggestions have been made, by the likes of Suella Braverman and Robert Jenrick, that Badenoch should get closer to Farage – in policy and electoral pacts.

Commentators, MPs and even shadow ministers have debated about Nigel Farage “being let into” the Conservative Party. This has always seemed to me to be absurd. I know Nigel Farage.

I don’t believe he has ever had the slightest desire to join the Conservatives. To him, they are the real enemy, not Labour.Feeding off resentment and disaffection, Farage is a perpetual oppositionist, regularly focusing on single issues that gain him media and public attention.

But that does not mean he has a coherent programme for government. I don’t know whether he wants to reduce spending or increase it. I don’t know how he actually plans to limit immigration.

His actual programme for government remains as obscure and hazy as ever. Which is why Badenoch and the Tories do not need him.if(window.

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adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_tablet_l1"}); }My view is that, after a dire defeat last year, the Conservatives need to work out what they represent.

What principles or values do they espouse? What do they stand for?The Tories will always rely on their time-honoured tradition of regicide or plotting against their leaders and, finally, removing them. Too often than not, however, the Tories have substituted one bad leader for another who was even worseThe Tories need to articulate a vision of the UK based on enterprise, lower taxes and a less intrusive state. They need to argue for tighter control of public spending while supporting defence spending.

It is not easy, but the offer needs to be framed on the language of positive choices. It should not be an angry, negative posture against the modern world.Defining themselves against Farage, one way or the other, seems particularly hopeless.

It is merely reactive and would imply that Farage is the true dynamic force, while the Tories would simply be reacting to whatever Farage, the Sun King of British politics, said or demanded.Maintaining her own course will be extremely difficult for Badenoch. The Tories will always rely on their time-honoured tradition of regicide or plotting against their leaders and, finally, removing them.

Too often than not, however, the Tories have substituted one bad leader for another who was even worse.Badenoch can articulate a vision which is independent and resonant, if given time. It won’t happen overnight, so the knee-jerk Tory reflex to ditch leaders when improvements don’t happen instantaneously could be her greatest impediment.

There are no easy answers, but the Tories should not ape Farage. They do not need to. Such a form of political mimicry would appear desperate and insincere.

Badenoch does, however, need to define her own political personality. Trying to pretend that she is the same thing as Nigel Farage would be the worst thing for her to do.if(window.

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adverts) { window.adverts.addToArray({"pos": "mpu_tablet_l2"}); }Kwasi Kwarteng is a former Conservative MP.

He served as chancellor between September and October 2022 under Liz TrussPerspectivesRead nextsquareJulie BurchillThe Tories need Farage more than they want to admitRead nextsquareHolly DayI’m a polling expert – the Tories will lose millions of votes if they team up with ReformJust readsquareKwasi KwartengI know Nigel Farage – he’s no friend to the Tories.