Nigel Farage's Reform 'will implode on first contact with reality' rather than form a successful Government, says Sir Geoffrey Cox

Critics say that Reform could not match the Tories for the necessary organisation and experienced leaders to set up and run a Government if, as polls suggest, it wins the next general election, expected in 2029.

Cox, 65, told today's Chopper's Political Podcast: "Reform will implode on the first contact with reality, like a bubble blown from a child's wand.

"It simply won't be able to maintain the discipline and coherence that will be required to fulfil this mission.

"I respect a lot of those in it. I like a lot of them, but you need regimental tradition to be able to face the enemy."

Cox said that only the Conservative Party, "with its historic mission, its historic discipline, with its coherence, that is born of the ancient traditions that it has, the great men and women who have served it," could form the next government, rather than Reform.

"Unless the Conservative Party develops the mission that will change this country, no other party will do it," he said.

Cox added: "I have an enormous sense of the mission of the Conservative Party. I do believe that if it's not the Conservative Party, it can't be anybody else.

"Many of those in Reform are Conservatives who are frustrated and angry with the way we let down the country over the last five years.

"And I do think we let down the country, if only because of the appearance we gave of forgetting what we were there for and the mission that we had."

Cox also advocated for a third way between remaining a member of the European Convention of Human Rights, and leaving it altogether, as is Tory party.

He said: "There's a very strong case for saying that states should be allowed to secede from the right of individual petition but remain in the convention."

This would allow UK courts to be sovereign and not have to defer to judges in Strasbourg.

Also on the podcast, Max Wilkinson, the Liberal Democrats' home affairs spokesman, criticised US President Donald Trump for trying to "drive a wedge" between the UK and the European Union.

He said: "I don't think Donald Trump understands very much about the way Britain works, right? As far as I can see, he just wants to undermine the things that make this country great.

"He's trying to drive a wedge between Britain and our European partners."

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