Kemi Badenoch has been urged by Conservative MPs to make a deal with Reform UK ahead of the next general election.
A series of Tory MPs have called to “unite the Right,” which would see either Tory or Reform MPs step aside in certain seats to avoid splitting the Right-wing vote.
The calls come following Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement of his resignation last week and speculation that the future Labour leader will call a snap general election to bolster their position.
Ms Badenoch ruled out an electoral pact with Nigel Farage last week, stating that the two parties are “not the same.”
However, many within Ms Badenoch’s party have voiced their concerns.
One Conservative MP told the Telegraph: “The national interest is served by preventing another Labour majority or a Labour-led hard-Left coalition with the SNP, Greens and Lib Dems, so Conservatives and Reform must work together to avoid splitting each others’ votes and maximise the number of seats they both win.
“The Conservative-Reform arrangement needs to be in place before the election, which could come sooner than expected, and MPs, donors and key party figures from both sides agree the work should start soon.”
Another MP echoed those views, saying: “It is absolutely essential that the Right unite, because if they don’t the Left certainly will.
Kemi Badenoch has been urged to make a deal with Reform UK ahead of the next general election
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“There has to be some accommodation between Conservative and Reform at some point.
“But quite what form that will take is something that will need to be discussed down the line.”
The proposed ideas could also see the two parties limit attacks on each other during campaigns and coordinate their messaging to encourage voters to cast their ballots tactically.
A website called Unite the Right UK was founded last week, that uses national polling to predict whoch seats are winnable if tactical voting is used, and shows whether a Reform or Conservative candidate should be prioritised.
Nigel Farage has previously stated he would refuse to work with the Tories
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Another Tory MP explained: “It is critically important that those that share a range of views about the future of the country don’t compete with each other.
“At some point the penny will drop for both leaders that they can’t and won’t win alone.
“When that happens then a deal becomes more likely, in fact very likely. And they both [Mrs Badenoch and Mr Farage] have to know that. Most sensible people in the party have reached this opinion too.”
Conservative MP, Edward Leigh, said: “It’s a mathematical certainty that under the first-past-the-post system that if you have two Right-wing parties competing in every constituency then you will end up with a Left-wing government.
“But I quite understand Kemi’s current approach and I fully support her in everything she does.
“I am concerned about the possibility of another Labour Government or worse some sort of rainbow alliance [Labour, Green, Liberal Democrats, SNP].
“So I believe after the next election there may be a patriotic alliance of conservative voters.”
Reform has previously stated they would not work with the Conservatives, with Nigel Farage saying: “After 14 years of dishonesty and lies they [the Conservatives] should never be forgiven. The idea I would work with them is ludicrous.