Nigel Farage lashes out at 'ludicrous' Reform-Tory merger claims - 'They betrayed me!'

Mr Farage said: "A false story in the FT tonight claims Reform would do a deal with the Tories.

"After 14 years of dishonesty and lies they should never be forgiven.

"The idea I’d work with them is ludicrous. They betrayed my trust in 2019 and we will ensure they cease to be a national party in May."

Mr Farage is particularly critical of former Prime Minister Boris Johnson, having stood down 317 Brexit Party candidates ahead of the 2019 General Election.

Speaking about the decision ahead of the 2024 General Election, Mr Farage said: “I wouldn’t take a peerage because I said I wouldn’t take a peerage under any circumstances.

“It was bribery. It was corruption on the most extraordinary level. And those that know me when this offer was made said they’d never heard me shout so loudly. I was that angry at total corruption.”

However, Mr Johnson categorically denied striking a pre-polling day deal.

In a sit-down interview with GB News last year, Mr Johnson said: “I didn’t do any deal.”

Despite Mr Johnson rejecting claims of a deal, Tories have long been calling for Mr Farage to return to Conservative ranks.

Michael Fabricant, who was first elected as an MP in 1992, suggested former Prime Minister David Cameron should have knighted Mr Farage after the 2016 Brexit referendum.

Meanwhile, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg, Lord Frost and Andrew Rosindell have all pushed for the right to unite ahead of the next general election.

The Tory Party is also facing a deluge of defections to Reform UK, with 18 top Conservatives crossing the floor so far.

After Jonathan Gullis, Lia Nici and Chris Green all confirmed they had switched to Reform UK on Monday, Mrs Badenoch dismissed concerns defections could prove terminal.

She said: “I don't think so. Actually, there are a lot of people who jump from ship to ship, looking at who they think is going to win.

“Last year, we had two MPs go to the Labour Party because they saw Labour was going to win.

“Former MPs will do what they like. I believe that those people are leaving because they want to be in a party that is generous on benefits.

“I think the benefits bill is far too high. We need to bring it down.”

However, GB News has now identified 13 more top Tories who could join Mr Farage's ranks ahead of the next general election, including four sitting MPs.

A Reform source said: “It seems more and more Tories are jumping ship to Reform - and death by a thousand defections continues."

However, the insider pointed out Reform UK is not willing to accept all disgruntled Tories.

"We are only taking the ones who align with our values and ethos," the source said.

"Reform will never become a dumping ground for ‘any old Tories’ - only the best and the brightest will make the cut.”

Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick this morning rejected claims he would defect to Reform UK if Mr Farage offered him the job of Chancellor.

Ruling out any potential merger, Mr Jenrick added: "I can’t speculate on what Nigel might have said at a boozy lunch in the City to his mates.

"All I can say is that my leader Kemi Badenoch said there won’t be a deal. Nigel Farage has said there won’t be a deal so there won’t be a deal.”

A recent BMG Research poll found Reform UK's support has dropped five points to 30 per cent, with the Tories making a three-point increase to take them just behind Labour on 20 per cent.

Despite leading in the polls since May, Reform UK might become increasingly jittery after tactical voting thwarted its bid to claim victory in October's Caerphilly by-election.

Responding to rumours of a merger or pact, a Tory Party spokesman said: "Reform want higher welfare spending and to cosy up to Putin. Only the Conservatives have the team, the plan, and the backbone to deliver."

It follows claims that Mr Farage had privately told donors that an alliance with the Conservatives was “inevitable”.

“They will have to come together. The Conservatives have been a successful political party forever because the left was always divided … If the right is divided, it can't win,” a Reform UK donor told the Financial Times.