Badenoch rules out Reform UK coalition, prefers fresh election to hybrid government
The Conservative leader has dismissed the prospect of a post-election deal with Nigel Farage’s party, describing defectors as “dishonest” and favouring a new vote over a “monstrous” hybrid administration.
Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch has effectively closed the door on a coalition with Reform UK, stating she would prefer a fresh general election to a “monstrous” hybrid government with the party. Speaking at the Edinburgh Festival Fringe, Badenoch outlined her preference for a clear mandate over a negotiated deal with a party she described as lacking policy consistency.
The comments arrive as the Conservatives seek to stabilise their position following significant defections to Farage’s party. Badenoch labelled former colleagues who crossed the floor, including former Home Secretary Suella Braverman and former Shadow Justice Secretary Robert Jenrick, as “some of the most dishonest people” she has met. She accused them of leaving the party at its lowest point and subsequently “pretending they had nothing to do with it.”
Badenoch specifically targeted Jenrick, who was dismissed for plotting against her and later described the Conservative Party as “rotten” and “failed.” She stated she is not “entertaining” indirect approaches from such figures, branding them “drama queens” who would not be welcomed back into the fold.
The political landscape remains fluid, with the latest Ipsos voting intention poll conducted between 30 July and 4 August showing Labour leading with 28% support. Reform UK follows with 25%, while the Conservatives trail in third at 18%. Prime Minister Andy Burnham has previously ruled out an early general election, noting Labour’s landslide majority in July 2024, though the next vote is due by August 2029.
Badenoch argued that a hung parliament resulting in a Labour-Liberal Democrat coalition would be preferable to a partnership with Reform. She questioned the viability of working with a party leader who has “fallen out with every single person” he has worked with, suggesting that if parties cannot form a government, the country should simply return to the polls.
Despite Reform’s substantial gains in Wales and across England over the past year, Badenoch insisted she wants to “win on her own terms.” She framed the upcoming election not as a unification of the right, but as an opportunity to unite the country through a systems-based approach to governance.
