Up to six Tory election candidates could switch to Reform UK after Nigel Farage's shock decision to stand as a candidate and lead the party into polling day, GB News can disclose.
The candidates, at least one of a former Conservative MP in the last Parliament, are in a race against time to make up their minds.
All parties must submit their nominations for the July 4 general election by 4pm on Friday this week.
Any decision by a Tory candidate in the next three days to defect to Reform would be a further hammer blow to Rishi Sunak's Tory party after three mega polls pointed to a Labour landslide at the general election.
GB News has spoken to one of the candidates who is seriously weighing up whether to jump to Reform UK before the deadline.
The candidate said that their mind could be made up by the performance of Tory leader Rishi Sunak in tonight's leaders' debate between Sunak and Sir Keir Starmer, the leader of the Labour party.
Any decision by a Tory candidate in the next three days to defect to Reform would be a further hammer blow to Rishi Sunak's Tory party
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They estimated that no more than six candidates were considering currently whether to jump ship to Reform. "There are a lot of things to consider," the Tory candidate said.
The candidate said their options were threefold: stand as a Conservative in the election, switch to Reform UK and fight the same seat, or fight a seat for Reform UK elsewhere in the country.
The candidate told GB News: "I feel very disillusioned with everything at the moment. They don't understand the impact that the return of Farage is going to have."
They said there was fury among some right wing candidates at the way Downing Street was using the sudden retirement of Tory MPs in safe seats to parachute former advisers into safe seats.
Tory peer Paul Goodman noted yesterday that the decision to call a surprise election means that Tory central office has a lot of control of which candidates fill vacant seats.
He estimated that one in four of the 46 candidates selected by Central Office and Number 10 - 10 candidates - are special advisers or former Tory special advisers.He said he could draw three conclusions: "First, 10 former Spads out of 46 candidates looks like a relatively high proportion compared to recent general elections.
Nigel Farage announced his return to be leader of Reform UK yesterday
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"Second, there is an unmistakable trend to more local candidates. The transformation of MPs into constituency campaigners continues apace.
"Third, there seem to be a lot of left-of-Tory-centre candidates and relatively few hard right Tory candidates."
YouGov data suggests Reform - which is planning to contest all seats - could win more than 20 per cent of the vote in a series of constituencies across England’s North and Midlands and deny the Tories a win.
A Conservative spokesman was approached for comment.
Yesterday a Tory spokesman - commenting on Farage becoming Reform leader - said: "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...
"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."
