Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson were today urged to join forces in a Reform/Conservative alliance to save Britain from what could become an “unholy” left-wing coalition government.
Nadine Dorries, who last week sensationally defected from the Tories to Reform UK, appealed to both men to work together for the sake of the nation, warning that a split right-wing vote could pave the way for Jeremy Corbyn, the Greens and even former Labour deputy leader Angela Rayner to take power at the next election.
The former Tory Cabinet Minister, who just 48 hours ago declared “the Tory Party is dead”, insisted that Britain needs “all the political talents on the right of centre putting their shoulder to what needs to be done for the country” in exclusive comments on the Daily Mail’s ‘Alas Vine and Hitchens’ podcast.
Badenoch Branded ‘Useless’ as Unity Call Excludes Tory Leader
Ms Dorries made clear that current Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch would play no role in any future right-wing alliance, branding her “possibly the most useless leader of the Conservative Party” in a scathing assessment of the opposition’s performance.
Her outspoken comments, made to podcast hosts Sarah Vine and Peter Hitchens, came on the final day of Reform’s party conference in Birmingham, where Mr Farage has put his party on red alert for a general election as early as 2027. The Reform leader predicted the Labour government would disintegrate before the end of its term.
The conference opened on Friday to the news, broken in the Daily Mail, that former Culture Secretary Ms Dorries – a close ally of former Tory PM Mr Johnson – was abandoning the Conservatives after three decades to join Nigel Farage’s insurgent party.
Egos Must Be Set Aside for Country
When asked on the Mail podcast if her new party’s leader would be prepared to have Mr Johnson “in some sort of coalition”, Ms Dorries replied that “all the political talents on the right of centre” should do what the country needed, though she conceded she did not know how that would work “in reality”.
“If you start from the point that you need everybody with the passion to make this country a better place at the helm, then I think that’s a good place to start,” the former minister explained.
Challenged that Mr Farage and Mr Johnson possessed probably the biggest egos in modern British politics, she responded: “If there’s a will to make the lives of those people better, then I think both men could and would find some way to accommodate each other’s egos and to coexist for the sake of the country.
Warning to Tory MPs: Don’t Expect Welcome
However, Ms Dorries also delivered a stark warning to Conservative MPs in general not to expect that they could simply transfer allegiance to Reform UK without scrutiny. The party has already accepted twelve former Tory MPs, including former Welsh Secretary David Jones and ex-Party Chairman Sir Jake Berry.
I haven’t had that conversation with Nigel Farage,” Ms Dorries said when asked about further defections. “I think there are some figures, but very, very small in number, that he would welcome. But the truth for most Conservative MPs is there is, there would be no common ground for rapprochement or any kind of accommodation.
Her comments suggest Reform UK is being selective about which Conservatives it accepts, despite holding a commanding lead in opinion polls with the party reaching 30 per cent support nationally.
Badenoch’s Leadership Under Fire
Ms Dorries launched a withering attack on Kemi Badenoch’s performance as Conservative leader, demanding: “Where is she? Have you heard from Kemi during the summer?”
The criticism prompted podcast host Sarah Vine to defend Mrs Badenoch, insisting “she’s been doing quite a lot”, though Ms Dorries remained unconvinced by the Tory leader’s visibility and impact.
The former Culture Secretary’s assessment of Badenoch reflects growing frustration among some former Conservatives about the party’s direction and effectiveness in opposition.
Left-Wing Coalition Threat
Ms Dorries painted a stark picture of what could happen if the right remains divided at the next general election. She warned of an “unholy alliance” potentially bringing together Jeremy Corbyn’s independent movement, the Green Party, and disaffected Labour figures like Angela Rayner.
Such a coalition, she suggested, would represent a fundamental threat to British values and prosperity. The warning comes as Labour faces internal tensions following Rayner’s resignation as Deputy Prime Minister over a stamp duty scandal.
The former minister’s analysis reflects growing concern among right-wing politicians that vote-splitting could hand power to a fragmented left-wing coalition, similar to arrangements seen in some European countries.
Reform’s Momentum Builds
Ms Dorries’ defection represents Reform UK’s biggest coup to date, with the party claiming to have grown from 80,000 to nearly 240,000 members in just twelve months. The surge in support has been attributed to public anger over immigration, economic stagnation, and dissatisfaction with both major parties.
Speaking at the conference, Ms Dorries told GB News: “Reform is the only party with answers to some of the really serious problems we’re facing, whether it’s law and order, illegal migration, that they’ve got serious answers to serious problems, no one else has.
The former MP for Mid-Bedfordshire spent 18 years in Parliament and has since become a best-selling novelist. Her pro-Brexit and anti-immigration views align closely with Reform’s platform, though tensions exist over issues like the Online Safety Act, which she championed but Farage opposes.
Johnson’s Future Role Uncertain
The prospect of Boris Johnson joining Reform UK or entering into an alliance remains uncertain. Ms Dorries, one of his most loyal supporters, claimed the Conservative Party “blocked” Johnson from returning at the last election, costing them victory.
“Boris and I are good friends. The problem with the Conservative Party is they needed Boris Johnson at the last election and they blocked him. They kept him out,” she told Katherine Forster at the conference.
When asked if Johnson might make a political comeback, Ms Dorries said: “Never say never with him, never underestimate Boris, but I just don’t know.
Political Landscape Shifting
Ms Dorries argued that British politics has fundamentally changed, with the traditional two-party system breaking down. Politics has moved on, thanks partly to GB News, people are better informed. People know more about what’s going on. They’re hearing the other side of the story,” she claimed.
She added that both Labour and the Conservatives have shown “when they are tested, when they are brought to Government, they just can’t do it. They can’t function as governing parties in any way which is effective, and they can’t deliver.”
The former minister warned Britain is at “a very dangerous point in our history”, citing high interest rates on government debt and economic challenges.
Mixed Reception from Members
Reform UK members have shown mixed reactions to the influx of Conservative defectors. While some welcome the experience and profile figures like Ms Dorries bring, others worry about diluting the party’s insurgent character.
James Mainwaring, a young Reform member, told GB News: “I imagine a lot more will come over in the next few years, but whether we want them is another question.
Meanwhile, some members specifically rejected the idea of Boris Johnson joining, with one stating: “I don’t think I’d want Boris Johnson to join. As much as he’s as charismatic as he is, he flip-flops.”
Opposition Parties React
The defection has prompted mockery from other parties, with a Liberal Democrat source saying: “We don’t know who to feel more sorry for, Kemi Badenoch or Nigel Farage.
Labour highlighted the contradiction between Ms Dorries‘ support for the Online Safety Act and Reform’s pledge to repeal it, calling the party “incoherent” with “all anger, no answers, with contradictions building by the day.
Green Party leader Zack Polanski said the defection wasn’t shocking, suggesting it reflected the natural alignment between Ms Dorries’ views and Reform’s platform.
Future Electoral Implications
The call for a Johnson-Farage alliance represents a significant development in British politics, potentially reshaping the right-wing landscape ahead of the next general election. With Reform leading in some polls and the Conservatives struggling in opposition, pressure for cooperation may intensify.
However, significant obstacles remain, including policy differences, personality clashes, and the question of leadership. Both Johnson and Farage have dominated their respective political spheres, making any power-sharing arrangement challenging.
As the political landscape continues to shift, Ms Dorries’ intervention may prove either prescient or premature, depending on whether the two political titans can indeed set aside their egos for what she sees as the greater good of preventing a left-wing coalition government.
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