An overwhelming majority of Tory members believe that their party will need to prop up a Reform government led by Nigel Farage after the next election, according to a new survey.
The survey of Conservative members by the ConHome website reveals that despite the two party leaderships attacking one another, they believe that the two will need to work together after the next election.
When asked if Nigel Farage will be prime minister after the next election, the survey found that 53.9 per cent thought it was either highly likely (15.8 per cent) or likely (38.1 per cent).
Then asked what sort of government would be required to keep Mr Farage’s Reform UK in power 24.4 per cent favoured a coalition with the Tories and 45 per cent a confidence and supply arrangement between the Tories and Reform.
This meant that almost seven in 10 Tories believe their party should help Mr Farage get into Downing Street with most of the rest (25 per cent) thinking that he will have an overall majority and not require their support.
The findings seem to chime with pressure from former cabinet minister Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg who spoke at the Reform conference but has remained in the Conservative Party and pushed for the two to cooperate.
it also comes as polling suggests that the Tories are on the cusp of being wiped out at the polls.
With Kemi Badenoch’s leadership under question, the Tories would win just 14 seats if a general election were called now, according to polling circulating inside Conservative Party headquarters and leaked to The Daily Telegraph.
However, Ms Badenoch, who has been embarrassed by high profile defections from her party, has refused to countenance a deal with Reform and attacked its policies.
Reform has also attacked the Tories for their record and insisted that a deal is not possible.
Responding to the survey, Mr Farage’s ally Zia Yusuf dismissed any deal.
He said: “The Tory party is dead. As is being proven in elections around the country, a vote for the Tories is a wasted vote. They will be annihilated again in May, and cease to be a national party. Anyone who wants secure borders, the deportation of illegals and to keep out the radical left must vote Reform.”
The Tories have refused to respond to the survey. However, it also found that two thirds of the 590 party members polled believe that there will be more high profile defections.
This follows MP Danny Kruger quitting to join Reform along with former ministers Sir Jake Berry, Dame Andrea Jenkyns and Nadine Dorries among other former MPs.
ConHome editor Giles Dilnot said: “Nothing in politics is truly inevitable, but amongst Tory party members a picture of the future is starting to form.
“We don’t know if it’s a picture they want, or a picture they simply see as the most likely reality. They say a week is a long time in politics, and there’s years to go yet, but for the Tory leader the picture painted is pretty stark.”
