Nigel Farage refuses to rule out joining the Tories

The Reform UK leader said 'I have no idea what I’m having for lunch tomorrow'

Nigel Farage

The Reform UK leader failed to completely rule out joining the Tories down the line after being grilled on the topic during an interview in Sky News.

When pressed multiple times to rule out working with the Conservative Party after the general election, the former UKIP leader dismissed the questioning although insisted joining the Tories was not on his agenda. 

Pushed further however, Nigel Farage said he didn’t know what he’d have for lunch in five years and couldn’t know if he’d be dead, attemtpting to dismiss the line of questioning. 

Journalist Sam Coates asked: “If you are in Parliament, in order to achieve the goals in this document wouldn’t there be an argument for maybe joining the Tories?”

Farage insisted, “good lord no, the Tories don’t agree with any of that.”

However Coates pointed out that a group of those further to the Right in the party may be steering the party post-election more towards the ideology of Reform. 

When pressed whether there was a conceivable future Farage saw himself as leader of the Tory Party, Farge said he was “ruling it out”, before adding however, “I can’t tell you what I’m having for lunch in five years time can I.” 

He went on to say: “It’s absolutely not on my agenda.. and I can’t rule out being dead in five years.”

He was also pulled up on his more ambiguous choice of words when he said, “I have no intention of being in the Conservative Party.”

Farage added he believed the Conservative Party “needs to be replaced” and that he didn’t see himself joining “David Cameron’s party”. 

When pushed again that he wasn’t ruling out joining, Farage hit back again, “I might be dead.. I have no idea what I’m having for lunch tomorrow.”

The interviewer responded it was a “very clever answer but it’s not a categorical answer.”

A frustrated Farage ended the point by saying it’s “not relevant for me.”

Nigel Farage was a Conservative before leaving in 1992 to join UKIP over the party’s position on the European Union. 

This election, Farage will be hoping it’s eighth time lucky to finally land himself a seat in Westminster. The right-wing populist has started to style himself as the real opposition to Labour, as he told reporters on Monday that this election was “the first important step on the road to 2029.”

(Image screenshot: Sky News screenshot)

Hannah Davenport is news reporter at Left Foot Forward

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