A top Tory has admitted Kemi Badenoch will have to consider a coalition or a pact with Nigel Farage to prevent Sir Keir Starmer returning to No10.
Tees Valley Mayor Lord Ben Houchen, who was tipped to dash to Westminster to put himself in the running ahead of the next Tory leadership race, also admitted next Thursday will be a difficult night for the Conservative Party.
However, Lord Houchen also predicted Labour would also be dealt a bloody nose in metro mayoral contests being held in Cambridgeshire & Peterborough, Greater Lincolnshire and Hull & East Yorkshire.
Addressing whether a "Unite the Right" agreement will be needed, Lord Houchen told the BBC: “If at the next election, there is a number of MPs from the Tory Party and Reform that would create a significant majority, then obviously there’s going to be a conversation to create a coalition or a pact.”
Ben Houchen
PA
The Tories' Red Wall poster boy, who clung onto his post when the Conservatives were decimated in last year's Local Elections, added: “I’m talking about the practicalities of keeping Labour out of Government because we’ve seen what they’ve done in the past 10 months.”
However, Lord Houchen appeared to shine some light on how the Tories and Labour can thwart the threat from Reform UK.
He said: “The realignment in British politics is real and the Red Wall, as of next week, I think is going to go significantly for Reform.
"If that doesn’t send a clear signal to the Labour Party, as well as the Tory Party, then Reform has a long-term future. But there’s still three years to battle that.”
Nigel Farage visited Ramsgate as part of the Reform UK campaign trailGETTYResponding to Lord Houchen's remarks, Labour source warned: “Ben Houchen is saying what Kemi Badenoch only dares to hint at: the Tories and Reform will work together to stop Labour bringing the change this country needs."
Much has been made about rumours of an agreement between the Tories and Reform that have been swirling around Westminster.
Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick sparked the latest spat after a leaked recording appeared to show him calling for some form of arrangement.
However, in a much stronger tone, Jenrick later said: "I want to send Nigel Farage back to retirement."
Kemi BadenochGETTYBadenoch also appeared defiant as she rejected any formal arrangement with Farage at a national level.
"I am not going into any coalition with Nigel Farage," the Tory leader said.
However, Badenoch was unable to deny that deals could be struck with Reform UK at a local level, adding: "You have to do what is right for your local area."
Earlier this week, Farage also dismissed the suggestion of an electoral agreement being struck with the Tories.
Speaking to the People's Channel earlier this week, the Reform UK leader said: "I would only do a deal with people I can trust and I don't trust them [the Tories]."
