The Conservatives have been hit with speculation about a potential electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s Reform UK, but senior Tory Alex Burghart isn’t giving any straight answers. Appearing on Sky News with Trevor Phillips, Burghart spent most of the interview sidestepping the question, despite being pressed repeatedly.
The conversation heated up as Phillips laid down the facts—Farage has previously said he wants to “destroy” the Tories, but could that stance change? And if it does, would the Conservatives be open to teaming up?
“Makes for a difficult first date, doesn’t it?”
When asked about the possibility of a deal with Reform UK, Burghart quipped that Farage’s past comments don’t exactly scream partnership potential:
“That makes for a pretty difficult first date, doesn’t it?” Burghart joked, referring to Farage’s threat to destroy the Conservatives. But beyond that, the Tory frontbencher wasn’t offering much more.
Phillips pressed further, asking:
“Let us suppose Nigel Farage said, ‘Actually, when I said I wanted to destroy the Conservative Party, I didn’t mean it. I want to work with you.’ Are you ruling out a deal with Reform UK?”
Instead of a clear answer, Burghart extended his dating analogy:
“So, you go on a first date, and someone says ‘I want to destroy you,’ and then later they change their mind—this isn’t a sensible conversation, Trevor.”
Phillips: “Are you ruling it out or not?”
The Sky News host wasn’t buying Burghart’s metaphor-laden responses and demanded a simple yes or no. He even accused Burghart of “going a million miles around the question” instead of answering directly.
Burghart’s response? Another dodge:
“That is not a question for me, Trevor. I’m not that important. I don’t get to make that call.”
The numbers behind the speculation
Phillips’ persistence came off the back of new polling by JL Partners for The Sunday Times, which shows Reform UK could win 102 seats at the next general election—up from their current five. Meanwhile, Labour is predicted to lose 211 seats, though they would still remain the largest party with 200 MPs, just ahead of the Tories on 190 seats.
Farage’s rising influence means the possibility of a deal can’t be easily dismissed, even if Burghart is reluctant to entertain the idea. With Reform UK making gains, the question remains: could a pact with Farage save the Conservatives, or destroy them further?
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