Tories should work with Reform to defeat Labour, says shadow minister

The Conservatives should “work together” with Reform UK to prevent another Labour government, a shadow minister has said.

Shadow foreign minister Andrew Rosindell appeared to call for an electoral pact with Nigel Farage’s party in an interview with GB News on Monday.

Mr Rosindell urged right-of-centre parties to “unite together” to defeat the left and get Sir Keir Starmer out of Number 10 in the next election.

He argued that, on policy, the Conservatives and Reform are “pretty much following a similar fit”, citing issues like immigration, human rights and the European Convention on Human Rights (ECHR).

‘Come together’

Asked if he was thinking of defecting to Reform, Mr Rosindell told GB News political editor Christopher Hope: “So, what I want is the right of centre in British politics to come together.

“Our electoral system can’t accommodate two parties that are broadly conservative.

“That means a divide in the vote and the calamity of another Labour government for five years, or even worse, a Labour government propped up by Liberal Democrats, Greens, Plaid Cymru, SNP, fruit and nut, and whoever else is around to prop Keir Starmer up in office. No thank you.

“I would much rather see people of like mind on the right of centre to work together.

“Now, Margaret Thatcher, when she was our leader, we had nothing, no party like Reform. That’s because everybody that’s in Reform today pretty much would have been part of the Conservative Party.

“So I think we need to get everyone working together to rescue our country from the disaster of this left-wing socialist Government.”

‘Aligning’

He added: “The good news is, on policy initiatives, we’re already aligning. So, ECHR, human rights, immigration, it sounds like actually we’re pretty much following a similar fit.

“I think there’s enough in common between Reform and Conservative, and I would include the unionists in Northern Ireland, there are three right-of-centre groupings, for goodness sake. Let’s think about what’s best for our country.

“Let’s unite together, defeat the left, and rescue Britain. That’s what I want to do.”

The Tory MP admitted he is “worried” that Conservative MPs including himself will lose their seats to Reform in the next election, and others to the Liberal Democrats.

On Mr Farage, he said: “He’s a good man. He’s a patriot, so is Kemi Badenoch. Why can’t they talk to each other and work together?”

‘Sack’

A spokesperson for the Liberal Democrats said: “Kemi Badenoch should sack Andrew Rosindell now if she wants to maintain any credibility.

“This is a shadow minister who has not just openly backed a Conservative pact with Reform but called Nigel Farage a ‘good man’.

“It’s no wonder so many One Nation Conservatives are abandoning their party and turning to the Liberal Democrats.”