Rishi Sunak hit by fresh general election blow as major change confirmed

24 December 2023 , 12:00

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Rishi Sunak has been warned that Reform UK will challenge his MPs (Image: POOL/AFP via Getty Images)

Rishi Sunak faces a general election nightmare as Reform UK has warned it will stand against Tory MPs for the first time.

The party’s leader Richard Tice has given “cast iron guarantees” to his senior team that its candidates will not be told to step aside. The decision risks making it even harder for Conservative MPs to cling onto key battleground seats.

Reform UK fought the 2019 general election as the Brexit Party, led by Nigel Farage, before changing its name after the country left the EU. In the run up to polling day, Mr Farage announced he would withdraw his candidates in the 317 seats the Conservatives had won at the previous election.

It had been thought that Mr Sunak could attempt to persuade Mr Tice to do the same again in a bid to stop Keir Starmer becoming PM. But the Sunday Times reported that the Reform UK leader has given "concrete" assurances to key figures including Ann Widdecombe that there will not be a repeat of 2019.

Mr Tice told the newspaper: "We will be ready whenever it comes, spring, summer or autumn. We will be standing in seats everywhere in England, Scotland and Wales. Many, including Tory MPs and commentators, still don't believe us, but I have news for them: you are seriously underestimating our intent to have a massive impact."

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Ms Widdecombe added: "The situation is completely different now. In 2019 if we had not stood down Labour could have won and there was a real chance that Brexit could have been overturned. This time Brexit has been done, at least legally."

The Conservatives currently trail Labour by around 20 points in opinion polls. Support for Reform UK stands at about 9%. The party is unlikely to win any seats, but it could take votes away from the Tories. In marginal constituencies this could be enough to prevent them from winning.

Mr Farage stepped down as party leader and became Reform UK’s honorary president following the last election. It has been rumoured that he could make a return to frontline politics after his stint on ITV’s I'm a Celebrity.

John Stevens