Rishi Sunak hatches plan to ‘see off’ Reform UK risk in opposition to Tories earlier than election | Politics | News | EUROtoday

Rishi Sunak’s workforce consider they’ll “see off” Reform on the subsequent election by branding them “a wasted vote”. People on the coronary heart of the Number 10 operation are bullish regardless of polls suggesting Reform, the re-branded Brexit Party, poses an rising risk to the Tories.

Conservatives will argue that solely Mr Sunak or Labour chief Sir Keir Starmer could be Prime Minister after the following election – and warn that voting Reform “will hand the election to Starmer”.

An ally of the Prime Minister mentioned: “We’ll see them off as we did with UKIP and the Brexit Party.”

Anti-EU social gathering UKIP got here prime within the 2014 European elections whereas the Brexit Party did the identical in 2019, however the Tories gained majorities within the subsequent basic elections.

A ballot by WeAssume for the Sunday Express discovered 20 p.c of voters are at present planning to vote Conservative on the subsequent election whereas Reform have the help of 9 p.c.

Mr Sunak’s workforce additionally dismissed solutions that Nigel Farage, who stop as Reform chief in 2021, might return in a high-profile position.

The insider mentioned: “Nigel doesn’t want to destroy the Conservative party. Most of his best mates belong to it. He wants to come back and lead it at some stage.”

By distinction, Number 10 hopes veteran left-winger George Galloway will trigger actual issues for Labour. The ex-Labour MP returned to Parliament after profitable the Rochdale by-election final month and says his Workers Party of Britain might stand 50 candidates on the basic election, primarily within the north of England.

Mr Galloway has named Ashton-under-Lyne in Greater Manchester, the place Labour Deputy Leader Angela Rayner is the present MP, as a goal seat.

The prime Tory mentioned: “Galloway is going to cause havoc for Labour.”