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UK national election: Sunak rules out poll pact with Nigel Farage’s Reform party

UK national election: Sunak rules out poll pact with Nigel Farage’s Reform party

File photos of Rishi Sunak (Left) and Nigel Farage (Right).

British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak has ruled out an electoral pact withNigel Farage's Reform UK party ahead of the nationalelection in the country on July 4, British media reported on Wednesday (May 29). Farage had suggested that he and Prime Minister Sunak should have a conversation before the election.

Farage, who had been associated with the Conservative party, has held back from running as a candidate for the Reform party. However, on Wednesday, he extended an olive branch to Sunak in an interview with The Sun, telling him, "Give me something back. We might have a conversation."

Farage said he had done the Tories some huge favours and now wanted something back. He also told The Sun that the Toriesalready tried to lure him away, hinting they had even offered him a peerage.

Sunak rejects Farage's offer

On Wednesday, PM Sunak rejected Farage's offer of the electoral pact. On being asked if he would speak to the Reform leader about a deal, Sunak told The Guardian, "There’s only going to be one of two people who will be prime minister: Keir Starmer or me. So the choice is a vote for anyone who isn’t Conservative is a vote for Keir Starmer in No 10.”

The Guardian reported that the Reform party is polling at about 12 per cent, with most of its support coming from former Conservative voters who backed Boris Johnson in 2019.

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Any decision by Reform to back off from fielding candidatesin marginal seats could be crucial to the Conservatives party defending constituencies, the publication reported.

'Only people we should be doing a deal with...'

Reacting to Farage's offer, British Security MinisterTom Tugendhat said the only people that the Conservatives should be dealing with are the citizens.

"...the deal we are making is to make an offer for how to govern this country better for the next five years and I think Rishi is absolutely right to be focusing on that,” Security MinisterTugendhat told BBC.

(With inputs from agencies)