Farage no longer wants a deal with the Tories, he wants to destroy them
Farage no longer wants a deal with the Tories, he wants to destroy them
On a brisk March morning, I find myself at a modest service station in the Peak District, where the forecourt has been transformed into a vibrant Reform hub. The price board at the petrol station proudly displays “Reform Refuel: 25p off with Farage” in bold letters. A cluster of journalists, TV crews, and photographers have assembled, along with some intrigued local residents.
Alan Graves, the Derbyshire County Council representative for Reform, pulls up in his turquoise Bentley, sparking immediate attention. Robert Jenrick, Reform’s leading Conservative defector, loiters by the forecourt, anticipating the arrival of Nigel Farage, who soon emerges from a Land Rover, headgear and jacket in place. Jenrick ascends the ladder to update the petrol prices as Farage remains below, a picture of calm amidst the media frenzy.
For a single day, Reform had partnered with the garage owner to offer a 25p discount per litre of fuel. The duo orchestrated the national media’s presence here to push for a government reversal of planned fuel duty increases. “We will spend the next few months trying to shame Rachel Reeves into cancelling [the 5p] rise in fuel duty in September,” Farage declared. “But if she doesn’t—whether because she’s running scared of the Greens or in hock to her far-left backbenchers—then Reform will reverse it in our first budget.”
Meanwhile, on the X platform, Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch echoed similar sentiments, sharing: “Labour knows exactly what a fuel duty hike will do to hardworking families, yet they proceed anyway. It’s a mistake. That’s why last week the Conservatives proposed a parliamentary motion to halt their plan.”
Despite her efforts to project strength, Badenoch’s stance on policy remains elusive, as she questions the authenticity of McSweeney’s stolen phone story, stating it’s “extremely fishy” but not a conspiracy.
The Conservatives now face a significant threat from Reform, yet an electoral alliance might not be the solution. Two parties advancing the same policy, Reform UK has emerged as the leading force on the right, surpassing the Conservatives in over 240 polls since the general election. Farage no longer hesitates to join the Tories or pursue an electoral pact; he now seeks to dismantle them entirely.
Back in 2019, Farage’s Brexit Party formed an electoral agreement with the Conservatives, agreeing not to contest 317 seats the Tories secured in the 2017 election to help Boris Johnson achieve government and push Brexit through. In 2023, Farage attended the Conservative Party conference, receiving a warm reception from right-wing Tories at a Liz Truss event before later mingling with Priti Patel, now the shadow foreign secretary. At that time, there were discussions about Farage potentially returning to the party after years of opposing it.
Before the 2024 general election, Farage took control of Reform, securing five seats with 14.3% of the vote. The Conservatives faced their worst-ever performance, losing parliamentary seats to 121. The decision was final; since then, Reform has gained momentum, winning a by-election and taking control of dozens of councils across England, as well as two mayoral administrations. The party has also attracted a growing number of disillusioned Tories seeking new political horizons.