Lord Archer’s final interview: Conservatives may not be able to form a government at next election

Lord Archer said in his final interview that the Conservative Party may not have enough support to form a government after the next general election.

In his last interview, with GB News’ Andrew Pierce, Lord Archer started by talking about his new book: “It developed over six years, and then in the last two years, I was ready. Now my problem was simple. I’m reading a great history book by Leo McKinstry about whether the Germans, how close the Germans had got to invading Britain.

“On September the 15th, 1940. Hitler changed his mind three times. So that was in my mind, and then I wondered what would have happened to history if he changed his mind twice and not the third time.

“So that was stuck up there, then I got a second idea of an earl in Norfolk, desperate to have a son, so he can pass on the title and the estate, and a shepherd on his estate, desperate to have a daughter because he thinks any son will end up going to war, and exactly the opposite happens.

“The Earl has a daughter. The shepherd has a son. Adam and Eve. Now I’ve got my biggest problem. How do I make Adam and Eve be the cause of Hitler changing his mind for the third time. Problem: it mustn’t plonk. It mustn’t say, “Oh, got it, Jeffrey, oh, yeah’.”

Asked how he developed his plots, he said: “It’s a tricky question because I genuinely believe, I mean, lead an interesting life and meet interesting people, so you know about getting stories. But I always say to young people who come to see me, it’s a God-given gift. I’m not a countertenor. I’m not a violinist. I’m not a ballet dancer. I tell stories.

“Yes, the rule has been for 40, 50 years that I do 6 to 8, 10 to 12, 2 to 4, 6 to 8, bed at 10, up at 5.30, and I won’t talk to anyone until supper in the evening.

“I don’t talk during the day because the book is roaming around in my mind. So if someone says, ‘Oh, but we just got to look at the – no. So Mary’s terrific about that. She gets on with her own work and doesn’t talk to me at all.

“You’re quite right. I’ve been interrupted three times in 40 years, and one of the occasions was by Crawfie, who you know so well, Margaret Thatcher’s right hand. Crawfie rang to say that Margaret had died, and that the official announcement would be in an hour. ‘I’m ringing to say be prepared because everyone is going to be calling’, and so I left the room and sat down and thought about our 11 years together, and I was ready, of course, when it came.

“In fact, I remember watching something I’ll never forget: watching television, and there was a doctor talking about cancer on television, and I could see the interviewer, and I thought, heavens, any minute now, someone’s going to tell you. And a voice came in his ear and he said, ‘We’re sorry, we’re stopping the programme’.”

Asked if he thought the Conservative could win another general election, Lord Archer said: “I am still a Tory party member. We had a 17-year run when we were defeated by 170. We then had an 11-12 year run with five prime ministers in the last seven years. It’s not a clever way to run a country.

“I still think here we are in 2026. They haven’t forgiven us, and I thought Andy Burnham’s speech at the party conference was outstanding, convincing and outstanding, and I think he’s riding on a high.

“If I was advising him, and I’m not, I would say go now. I think if he holds on for three years, having to live on the old Labour Party manifesto, that could be a burden for him.”

Pressed again, he said: “You’re cruelly asking the same question. No, I think they can be the largest party.

“What we have seen is Kemi Badenoch coming up to Reform, and on one poll, even with Reform. If a week is a long time in politics, as Harold Wilson suggested, then two years is a very long time.

“So I think if Reform were to hold on to 20% or more, and if Restore are still there, I think the Conservatives could be the biggest party, but that wouldn’t stop Labour with a coalition with the Liberals and the Greens forming a government.”

He went on to praise Badenoch: “I think she’s remarkable. I think for our party to have elected a black woman is in itself remarkable.”

Lord Archer was also asked if he could envisage Nigel Farage as Prime Minister: “I can. I could see a situation where there’s such strong feeling about the votes and immigration, and such strong feeling about law and order, and he’s now got £72 million to spend.

“I remember in my day, I once raised £140,000 for the prime minister in a meeting in Durham, and there were wild celebrations. £72 million. You can do a lot. You can appoint people to what you consider other marginal seats, you can set up your own central advisory panel on every single bill.

“He’s in with a very big chance, but he has a problem. Him, if he’s not there, if he goes for any reason. I think they are one one-man band.”

Asked if he could envisage another Conservative government in his lifetime, Lord Archer said: “Well, it depends how long I live, doesn’t it? What a silly question.

“I’ll have to live three or more years to see an election because I don’t think Andy Burnham is going to call an election. So I’ve got to wait three years.”