Rishi Sunak opens up on letting Nigel Farage join Tories in fiery PMQs clash with Starmer

The Prime Minister, who earlier this month was quizzed by voters on GB News, told MPs: "Mr Speaker, in our party, we have a proud tradition of diversity and accepting everyone from everyone background.

"It is a proud record that puts Labour to shame, Mr Speaker. This is the party that delivered the first Jewish Prime Minister, the first female Prime Minister, the first black Chancellor, the first Muslim Home Secretary and now led by the first British Asian Prime Minister.

"While it seems he can only champion men from North London, it is the Conservatives that represent modern Britain."

Starmer replied: "Does he genuinely think that Nigel Farage shares the ideals and values of the Tory Party?"

In a fiery response, Sunak slammed Starmer over the scandal engulfing Rochdale's by-election tomorrow.

Labour's candidate is standing as an independent after making a series of antisemitic comments and ex-Labour MP George Galloway is also hoping to return to Westminster.

Starmer continued: "The truth is, these are no longer the Tories your parents voted for and the public can see it.

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"The Prime Minister has lost control of his party to the hoards of redcoats of malcontents, the tin foil hat brigade over there, the extremists who wrecked the economy, all lining up to undermine him, humiliate him and eventually to get rid of him.

"When will he ever stand up to them and end the pathetic spectacle of a Tory Party that used to try and beat Nigel Farage now giving up and dancing to his tune instead?"

Sunak responded by taking aim at Labour over its record on antisemitism but stopped short of talking in more detail about the possibility of Farage joining the Tories.

Sunak said: "Utterly shameless from someone who stood by while antisemitism ran rife in his party."

He added: "While he might want to bend to mob rule, we will face down the extremists and stand up for British values.”

Responding to the spat at PMQs, a Reform UK source said: "It’s clear the Tories are imploding, having gaslit those who once supported them.

"They are now making a desperate attempt to deceive the electorate once more ahead of their upcoming electoral oblivion."

Farage, who was a registered Tory member during the Thatcher years, is far from committed to joining the Conservative Party.

During his appearance at last PopCon earlier this month, the 59-year-old said: "I'm not looking to join the Tory Party, you must be joking.

"Not at the moment, given what they stand for.

"And, as far as this group's concerned, I'd rather be part of Reform because that's the real thing."

Despite his dismissive comments in Westminster, the remark did appear to suggest Farage could be more open to joining Tory ranks under a different leader.

Farage later said he is "open-minded" about joining the Conservative Party after the next election as he pushes for a "major realignment" of the Right.

The GB News presenter is also reportedly mulling over what role he will play with Reform UK in the upcoming general election.

Reform UK could pose an existential threat to the Tories as opinion polls continue to show the populist party eating into Conservative support.

Chris Hopkins, political research director at Savanta, said: "Reform recording their highest ever vote share in a Savanta poll is notable, but I remain sceptical of their electoral prowess.

"They certainly have the potential to really hurt the Conservatives at the next election, but their voters are not just Tories-in-disguise.

"Mobilising their supporters will be incredibly important if they are to achieve anything like a 10 per cent vote share at the actual general election."