Lib Dems claim Badenoch would back Farage for No 10 after council pact hints

Lib Dems criticise Badenoch for seemingly paving the way for Farage to enter Downing Street after she signalled openness to Tory‑Reform council agreements

Kemi Badenoch indicated she would not object to Conservative councillors cooperating with Reform UK colleagues at the local level.

During a Sky News interview, when asked about potential Tory‑Reform pacts in councils, she first noted that in the areas where Reform secured seats last year no Conservative‑Reform coalitions had formed. She then added:

“We are willing to work with people who will help deliver Conservative policies.”

Daisy Cooper, deputy leader of the Liberal Democrats, responded:

“Lifelong Conservative voters nationwide will be shocked that Kemi Badenoch is opening the door to coalitions with Reform. This amounts to a dress rehearsal for the next general election, in which the Conservatives are preparing to place Nigel Farage in Number 10.”

It is common for parties that fiercely contest each other nationally to find common ground in local government when no single party holds a majority and a shared agenda can be agreed upon.

At the national level, both Badenoch and Farage have dismissed suggestions of an electoral pact for the upcoming election. Yet, during the campaign each has hinted that they might reconsider.

In a Times interview last month, Farage did not exclude the possibility of a pact. Steven Swinford’s report quoted him as saying:

“Given the prospect of a hung parliament, can Farage rule out a confidence and supply arrangement with the Tories after the next election? Reform’s leader is non‑committal. ‘You’re talking about a scenario that is so far down the road.’ He describes it as ‘highly undesirable’ but does not rule it out. ‘Well there’s never a no, is there,’ he says. ‘There’s never a no to anything in life, but it’s highly undesirable on the basis of trust.’”

When Badenoch was asked about the same issue in a Sunday Times interview over the weekend, she likewise refused to rule it out. Josh Glancy’s write‑up recorded her remarks:

“In recent interviews, Badenoch has been unequivocally opposed to this idea. ‘I have ruled out a coalition with Reform in Westminster, and I rule it out here,’ she told The Times last month.

But today? It’s no longer a definitive no. ‘I just think it’s too soon to even be talking about stuff like that,’ Badenoch says. ‘Right now, I need people to understand what this new Conservative party is. If you start talking about deals, it sounds like you’re trying to stitch up jobs.’ Later she appears more resolute: ‘I meet Conservatives every day who say, “If you go to Reform, then we’re done.”’ The door seems slightly ajar, but only just.”