He added: “Something is happening out there. There is a rejection of the political class going on in this country in a way that has not been seen in modern times.”
I see, so what we need is a slimy career politician running the party which is full of privileged career politicians. That'll really shake things up!
Look, just because he's a public school educated, ex-stockbrocker, career politician with deep ties to the media doesnt make him a part of the elite he loves to rail against.
Something between trolling and a wish fulfillment fantasy from Farage here, but the fact that this sort of story isn't even absurd is a prety damning situation for the old Tories.
If this goes as badly as some polls are predicting merging the parties will mean still being second or even third fiddle. The only reason to merge would be if both the conservatives and reform do better than predicted, then merge to become a minority government, otherwise Reform have about as much chance on their own as they do with the conservatives.
It's highly unlikely reform will get any seats though in which case this will be a massive non-issue.
For once the First Past The Post system is actually in our favor.
I am surprised he is so blatant but he might as well put his cards on the table. I suspected the only reason he changed his mind is because he saw his path to power open and it is likely his best shot - stand in the election, lead Reform on a mission to wreck the Tories, offer a merger if he leads the combined parties and then he runs against the damp squib Starmer in thr next election and barrels into power on the kind of populist vote that gave BoJo the top job. With Trump in the White House and the hard right rampant in Europe, they'll help usher in a very dark, undemocratic time. It will likely coincide with a worsening climate apocalypse leading to water wars, mass migration out of the south as it becomes uninhabitable and societal decay for they'll offer themselves as the solution. Hard men for a hard world. At least until we get further down the road of automation when they don't need the bulk of humanity and they'll solve the Malthusian dilemma with targeted viruses.
Hopefully, Starmer divines the oncoming storm.and steps aside for Andy "King of the North" Burnham to ride south to our salvation but things are going to get rough either way.