Reform’s policy frontman has slapped down rumours of a Reform-Tory pact after reports speculated the two parties could work together at the next General Election.
Zia Yusuf further told GB News’ Martin Daubney that they “are trying to tell the story there is a path to salvation and resuscitation for the Conservative Party”.
Shutting down the Westminster gossip, he said: “No, it’s completely fake news. It is made up.
“It is another smear. We’ve had smear after smear after smear campaign going for Reform from all our staff, all parts of the media actually.”
“Actually, if you look at all of the MRPs that have come out, the latest one I think had the Tories on some 17 seats, which as far as Nigel and I and everyone else at Reform believe is probably 17 too many.
“As of May the 1st, the Tory party, we believe, will cease to be a national political party. You don’t need to really speculate too much on that.”
Mr Yusuf cited the widely anticipated Caerphilly election, where the Conservative Party polled at two per cent, although it was famously never a stronghold for the Tories.
Moving further north, he blasted: “They are not even on the map in Scotland. They’re going to lose a huge number of council seats across England as well in May.
“They’ll cease to be a concern, I think certainly nationally as a political party, we’re hearing they’re struggling to even accumulate enough candidates to fill a slate.
“And look, why would that not be the case? One of the reasons why Reform has risen is because the Tory party betrayed the country.”
He chastised the party’s immigration record, rattling through six Home Secretaries during their time in office all the while vowing to bring down net immigration.
“Instead, they shipped in five million new people, left the country with fewer hospital beds, a few hundred more prison places to let wokeness run through our institutions and on the economy,” he condemned.
“Remember, they were the ones who blew up people’s mortgages. They were the ones who tripled the national debt and took taxes on people to the highest level since World War II.
“They betrayed every principle they were elected to uphold. There is no chance Reform would do a deal.”
On Tuesday evening, the Financial Times reported Mr Farage has told party donors that he expected a deal, or a merger, between his party and the Tories, to support their way to victory.
Previously, the Brexit supremo and top Tories – including the likes of Kemi Badenoch and Robert Jenrick – have batted away such rumours.
Issuing a response to bin off the rumours, Mr Farage said: “A false story in the FT tonight claims Reform would do a deal with the Tories.
“After 14 years of dishonesty and lies they should never be forgiven. The idea I’d work with them is ludicrous.
“They betrayed my trust in 2019 and we will ensure they cease to be a national party in May.”
Mr Farage has consistently hit out at the Tories’ immigration record after he claimed the Tories betrayed him on matters of immigration after he struck a deal back with then-PM Boris Johnson in 2019.
His Brexit Party promised not to field parliamentary candidates in constituences where the Conservatives had a chance of snatching seats from Labour – leading to Mr Johnson’s majority.