Director of the Popular Conservatism movement Mark Littlewood has claimed it is "too late" for Nigel Farage to stand for Reform in this year's General Election, as he predicts the party will "fold into the Conservatives".
Farage made his decision not to stand for Richard Tice's party this year as he wants to "focus on the US election" and Donald Trump's campaign.
Speaking to GB News, Littlewood hit out at Farage's decision and said he has been the "single most influential politician" in the last 10 to 15 years, "without needing to be an MP".
In discussion with Mark Dolan, the PopCon Director admitted that despite not running in the election, Farage will still be "a big influence" for Reform.
Mark Littlewood says it's 'too late' for Nigel Farage to stand with Reform
PA / GB News
Littlewood told GB News: "Essentially, Nigel Farage has been probably the single most influential politician in the UK over the past 10 or 15 years, and he's done that without needing to be an MP.
"He's going to be a big influence in this campaign without running. It's going to be too late for him to run now."
Littlewood added that if Nigel were to change his mind and run for Reform, there would be "no voter data" and "no canvassing would have taken place" to help boost his chances of winning.
He told Mark: "Farage decided not to turn up on the pitch for the first 45 minutes. That's not a question of not taking your chances. He hasn't been there, and if you're an insurgent party, it's probably now too late.
Nigel Farage is actively campaigning with Reform UK, but is not standing as a candidate
PA
"If he were to pick a seat, there will be no data on where the Reform voters are. No canvassing will have taken place."
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Littlewood explained that it "takes a long time" for voters on the ground to recognise that their candidate is "Smith or Jones or Farage", even "if it's a big national news story".
He then predicted that Farage could become an MP in the future, but not for Reform.
Littlewood predicted: "I think Nigel Farage will become an MP in the future. Most likely more likely than not, but probably under Conservative Party colours.
"I think it's quite likely if Reform don't get a breakthrough this time, that they'll fold into the Conservatives."
Mark Littlewood predicted that Farage could 'become an MP for the Conservatives' in the future
GB News
Former Government adviser Claire Pearsall shared her thoughts on Farage not standing for the election, and claimed that if he "was going to do it, he would have made his mind up and he would have done it already".
Pearsall told GB News: "I think a lot of this is just trumpeting his own success, his own personality, his own particular brand of populism and we mustn't forget that he had seven opportunities to become a parliamentarian, and he didn't make any of them.
"Would he really want to go and sit in the Commons, potentially in opposition, where it is a long, hard slog, where to get anything done is impossible?
"If you're telling me that he would sit there and go through all of that with the potential to take over the leadership of a party he has wished to be decimated, then I really think that you're barking up the wrong tree there."
