FARAGE BRAGS THERE WILL BE 'WARFARE IN THE TORY PARTY WITHIN A WEEK'

• Recent YouGov poll showed growing support for Reform and Tory stagnation 

Nigel Farage has predicted there will be warfare within the Conservative Party within a week following Reform's dramatic rise in recent weeks.

The Reform leader suggested the Tories were heading for infighting following news his party had overtaken theirs for the first time in a recent YouGov poll.

'You will start to see those MPs, who I agree with on most things, becoming much more vociferous about their stance as opposed to that of the party,' he told The Telegraph.

'The splits are going to get worse. And to them I will say: 'Sorry guys, you are just in the wrong party'. 

Farage claimed Reform was now the 'opposition to Labour' this week after a YouGov survey for The Times put Reform up two points to 19 per cent, with the Tories unchanged on 18 per cent.

Farage, having only announced his bid to stand in the general election for Reform UK two weeks ago, made the explosive claim on Thursday as the national opinion polls revealed a small surge in support for his party.

'Just before we came on air we overtook the Conservatives in the national opinion polls. We are now the opposition to Labour,' he said.

Labour remains in front with an 18-point lead, with Keir Starmer's party backed by 37 per cent of voters.

The Liberal Democrats were also closing in with 14 per cent.

With polls showing waning support for the Conservative Party, Farage told LBC earlier this week he would be willing to lead a merged coalition with the Tories after the election.

He said he could not lead the party as it 'currently is' but said he felt 'capable of leading a national opposition to a Labour Party with a big majority where I can stand up and hold them to account on issues'.

He said the election was 'over' and that Labour 'has won', but deemed the Tories 'incapable' of forming an effective opposition as it stands. 

The Conservatives have struggled to drum up support in the polls despite the launch of their manifesto on Tuesday.

The 80-page document promised more cuts to National Insurance payments, an increased threshold for losing child benefit, and a cap on legal migration to ensure a fall in arrivals each year.

The Tories have also detailed a plan for national service for 18-year-olds - a policy that has divided military figures, was branded 'desperate' and unfunded by Labour, and was roundly unpopular with young people.

Sunak said the scheme would 'give our young people the chance to enjoy new experiences, learn new skills and feel a sense of community, belonging and national purpose'.

Labour launched their manifesto two days later, on Thursday, positioning itself as a party of change after 14 years of Tory government.

The party set out an aim to improve living standards for working people with a 'costed' plan, encouraging investment back to Britain and clamping down on tax avoidance.

The IFS, an independent think tank, said the number of reviews to decide policy positions after the election was promised in the manifesto was 'dizzying'.

Nigel Farage said his party will release its manifesto on Monday, June 17.

He has pledged to boost growth by increasing the income tax threshold to £20,000, from £12,570. 

Nigel Farage will run as Reform's candidate in Clacton, Essex, which became the first constituency to elect a UKIP MP in 2014.

Clacton currently has a conservative majority of 24,702. 

Farage told the BBC in May he would not be running in the election as six weeks to launch a campaign was 'not long enough', and claiming the American election was 'more important'.

Farage later said: 'Difficult though it is, I can't let down those millions of people, I simply can't do it, it'd be wrong. So I have decided I've changed my mind.'

Farage replaced Richard Tice as leader of Reform on June 3. 

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2024-06-16T00:37:39Z dg43tfdfdgfd