‘They didn’t want to know!’ Sunak warned about threat from Farage LAST YEAR but ignored Tory Right
Rishi Sunak was warned about the threat from Farage last year
PA
Tory MPs warned Rishi Sunak and his aides about the threat from a “resurgent” Reform UK led by Nigel Farage last year but were ignored, a Conservative source has told GB News.
Downing Street was startled yesterday after Farage “changed his mind” on standing to become an MP on July 4.
The former Ukip leader, who has so far unsuccessfully stood for Parliament seven times, declared he will lead Reform UK and run as the party’s candidate in Clacton.
Tory sources yesterday told GB News that the decision puts the Conservative Party in “extinction territory”.
Rishi Sunak was warned about the threat from Farage last yearPAGB News can now reveal that leading figures on the Tory Right warned the Prime Minister about the lethal threat from Farage last year.
A source on the right of the Conservative Party told GB News: “We warned No10 about this over a year ago, but the Prime Minister and his ‘advisors’ chose to ignore our warnings about the threat of a resurgent Reform under Nigel.
“We are now literally fighting for our survival and trying to limit the damage we are about to see come polling day.
“We literally went to see Sunak in Downing Street and said this to his face.
“But they just didn’t want to know. If there is one man that can fill this political vacuum, whether you like it or not, it’s Nigel.”
LATEST DEVELOPMENTS:
Nigel Farage is interviewed by GB News following the Reform UK press conference, at The Glaziers Hall in LondonPAThe so-called “Five Families”, which include the Brexit-backing European Research Group, met with Sunak over breakfast on December 12 as the Prime Minister pleaded for them to support his flagship Rwanda plan.
Sunak was able to call on the support of a majority of Tory MPs to pass through his illegal immigration legislation, with just 11 Conservatives rebelling and a further 18 abstaining.
However, the Tory Right is now fuming with Sunak over his refusal to accept their warnings about Farage and fear it could prove catastrophic for the Conservative Party on July 4.
During his emergency announcement yesterday, Farage appeared unapologetic about taking the fight to the Tories as he looks to supplant the Conservative Party as “the opposition” and springboard Reform UK into power in 2029.
Polling guru Sir John Curtice now believes Reform UK could cost the Conservative Party an additional 60 seats.
The so-called “Five Families”, which include the Brexit-backing European Research Group, met with Sunak over breakfast on December 12 as the Prime Minister pleaded for them to support his flagship Rwanda plan
PA
A YouGov MRP poll conducted ahead of Farage’s announcement suggested Sir Keir Starmer is poised for a landslide victory as the Tory Party faces being reduced to just 140 MPs.
A separate MRP published last week by Electoral Calculus on behalf of GB News suggested the results could be even worse for the Conservatives, reducing the party to just 66 seats.
GB News approached a number of Sunak’s aides about the meeting and what was discussed between the Prime Minister and Tory rebels.
In response, a Conservative Party spokesperson said: “Nigel Farage risks handing Keir Starmer a blank cheque to rejoin the EU, impose the Retirement Tax on pensioners and hike taxes on hardworking Brits up and down the UK.
“Farage knows that Reform won’t win any seats, but he doesn’t seem to care that a vote for Reform only helps Labour. He’s doing exactly what Keir Starmer wants him to do.
Rishi Sunak
PA
“Just yesterday, EU insiders openly voiced their expectation that Starmer would seek a softer Brexit deal, opening the door to rejoining the EU all together.
“That would mean uncontrolled immigration and betraying the will of the British people.
“Is Farage really willing to risk undoing his life’s work by handing Starmer a blank cheque to rejoin the EU?
“Only a vote for Rishi Sunak and the Conservatives can deliver a clear plan, bold action and a secure future for our country.”
However, pressure is being piled on Sunak after Lichfield MP Michael Fabricant claimed Farage should have received a knighthood for becoming a Brexit “hero” by forcing then-Prime Minister David Cameron to hold an in-out referendum on EU membership.
Fabricant added: “How the pride of former Prime Ministers has damaged our party.”
Nigel Farage during a walkabout and rally in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, for his Brexit PartyPAFarage last week “sarcastically” hinted at signing up to a 2019-style deal with Sunak’s Tories.
The “Bad Boy of Brexit” stood down 317 candidates to ensure Boris Johnson could deliver on the UK severing ties with the European Union.
Farage claimed he was offered a peerage for his efforts but stressed he needed something more substantive.
Discussing previous offers of a peerage, Farage added: "I’ve turned all that rubbish down in the past."
He added: "Do you know what? I got rid of Mrs May with the Brexit Party.
"I stood aside for Boris to help him win a massive majority. What are they going to do back for me?"
Prime Minister Rishi Sunak launches the Conservative campaign bus at Redcar Racecourse in the in the North East of England while on the General Election campaign trail.PAHe continued: "I'm not asking them for anything other than I've done them some huge favours over the years as a party.
“Give me something back. We might have a conversation."
However, Farage has instead opted to pose a fatal threat to the Tory Party after joking about a “takeover” plot of the centre-right.
Speaking during his campaign launch about his “political revolt” yesterday, Farage said: "They are on the verge of total collapse and it couldn't happen, frankly, to nicer people"
He also claimed Reform UK will receive more votes than the Tories and return MPs to the House of Commons.