TORIES MAY WORK WITH REFORM UK IN PARLIAMENT BUT IT IS A RIVAL PARTY, SAYS PRITI PATEL

FORMER HOME Secretary Dame Priti Patel has said the Conservatives and Reform UK might work together in future in Parliament but would “challenge” and “oppose” Reform if she becomes the Tory leader.

In her first interview since she declared herself as a candidate in the Conservative Party leadership contest, she said she would not like to see Suella Braverman join Reform UK.

Dame Priti also told GB News she would like to reform the Tory Party so it becomes the largest party in local government, and would work to ensure that the Labour Party has only one term in office.

Asked by Patrick Christys if she would be annoyed if Suella Braverman joined Reform UK if she became leader, Patel said: “Well, first of all, I would not want to see that happen. Let me just be clear about that.

“I am standing in this leadership contest. I think this is a crucial moment for my party, the Conservative and Unionist Party. I have a lot of experience in the party.

“I’ve been a member for 30 years and I absolutely believe that I’m one of the strongest candidates to bring people together and unite people. And I can say that because having been a member for 30 years, I’ve been consistent in my views, my beliefs, my values.

“I’m not a politician that’s had to go on a journey to rediscover myself or my views. People know what they get with me. Unity has to be at the crux, the centre of how we go forward as a party. And I say that to all colleagues, look at the result of the General Election.

“The public voted against us, we were disunited, we failed to deliver. And so I want to see us, number one, come together, but also start to work together to reform the party.

“That’s our party, our structures, the way we campaign, the way we engage, even our grassroots, how we stand up and become – I want us to become the largest party in local government all over again. We’ve moved away from that over the last two years. But with that, we should be standing up for Conservative values and beliefs.

“I absolutely think that is a very significant area where every Conservative member of Parliament and our grassroots members can unite around that, and we therefore develop the right policies in due course through those Conservative values and beliefs, being patriots of our country, standing up for law and order. I’ve never shied away from all that.

“Yes, learning lessons around immigration control and immigration, looking at the levers that the Government actually does have and we could have one day again, through the systems that, by the way, we put in place and the laws that we put in place.

“It’s the same across the board as well, but actually freedom, the freedom to succeed, economic opportunity, these are all Conservative values, and I want us to be back there again as a united party, actually standing up for them.

“Conservatism hasn’t failed. It has not and I absolutely believe that this is where we need to come together and stand up for who we are and demonstrate to the British people our views are their views, and actually we can represent the hard work of the silent majority of our country.”

Asked if Nigel Farage should be allowed to join the party, she said: “I’ve known Nigel for a long time and I could debate with him, discuss issues with him, and I’m happy to do that. Let’s not forget the Conservative Party has lost the General Election and with that Reform UK, a party that stood against Conservative candidates at the General Election, they were part of us losing the election.

“We lost amazing, decent public servants at this General Election, which is a shame. I believe that Reform is a party that we will challenge, oppose. There might be times…in Parliament where they seek to side with us. Who knows? That’s the Parliament in the future.”

On why she should lead the party, Patel said: “I’m a long-standing Conservative and yes, I’ve worked in governments, in many departments. I do absolutely think the job of being leader of the opposition is challenging.

“It comes with all sorts of challenges and you need experience. You need the strength of that experience and the ability to carry colleagues with you and to work with colleagues as well.

“People have known me for a long time. They know I’m not someone that’s sort of changed my views or my positions. I am consistent and I’m a Conservative, a full-blooded Conservative in that sense, and I believe that I can bring my skills, my experience, unity and strength into play to challenge the Government, to be a robust Leader of the Opposition.

“I can tell you now, I don’t want a Labour government to be more than a one term Labour government, and I believe with my leadership, we can absolutely challenge them and hold them to account and get our party match fit all over again to win the next General Election.”