Britain’s Tories really, really don’t want to team up with Farage. They might still have to.
The Reform UK leader is the butt of mockery and vitriol at the Conservatives' annual gathering in Birmingham. That could make a coalition near-impossible.
Conservative Party officials expressed strong disdain for Nigel Farage's Reform UK party during their annual conference in Birmingham. The animosity between the two parties intensified after high-profile Tory politicians Robert Jenrick and Suella Braverman defected to Reform in January. Tory Leader Kemi Badenoch stated she would rather force a second general election than partner with Reform.
Senior Conservatives openly mocked Reform, citing issues like Braverman's comments on English identity and scandals surrounding Reform's finances. A senior Reform official acknowledged the Conservatives' opposition but argued that their deteriorating financial situation would make a coalition nearly impossible. If a general election took place, a split vote between Reform and the Conservatives could allow Labour to form a government, leading Badenoch to consider a confidence and supply agreement with Reform as a last resort.
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