Nigel Farage will be the next Conservative leader?

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I saw one article suggesting, now he has a seat, he will defect to become Tory leader, and thought it was a joke, but actually there are lots of mainstream media suggesting the same thing.

Tory members will love it and if he'd been insitu yesterday, they may well have won?

For me it's an appalling thought, but it feels scarily possible?

Hmm not sure.He achieved Brexit without even being in parliament.

Not gonna happen.

Rather like Boris....?

Yes, I think (even) more exposure could make him more popular. Him giving Starmer hard time in parliament (where he's likely to win) plus merging the Reform and Conservative votes, would make them unbeatable next time round?

I mean, it's likely to be a disaster for the country, but for the Conservative party...?

The Conservative Party need to have a serious conversation around where their future lies, and whether they are able to effectively represent a broad coalition of thought.

The right wing of the part of very noisy, and they will want you to believe that the lesson from this election is to move further to the right. That is always the lesson they seem to take from everything though, and it ignores the fact that there are a lot of people in the country who would have voted for an effective Tory party if they were more measured and centrist, but have instead felt forced to vote for the Lib Dem’s or Labour. Those voters are never going to return if the party pitches ever further to the right.

So, who will the party listen to, and what lesson will they take away. If they do lurch right, will the more moderate elements of the party be able to stomach it, or will they decide that the Tory party is no longer for them either?

I think it is a great idea if the Conservatives want to lose even more blue wall seats to the Lib Dems.

The issue is there is no easy answer for the Conservatives.

Do people really think that the voters that gave Cameron the lead in 2010 and then a majority in 2015 would happily trot behind Farage - can you really not see the difference between these two politicians?

He's exploited issues like Brexit and immigration to give himself leverage and he has stoked up ugly division and prejudice to further himself. He has certainly been influential, but I think people really overestimate him and give him a lot of undeserved credit.

Think conservatives really need to take a minute to consider whether they want to go right or centrist - if they go right then they’re head to head with Farage and possibly would combine forces before next election. If they go centrist then some of the MPs may defect to Reform.
I have no faith in Farage (or his current party) being capable of running a country and I think ultimately enough of U.K. would recognise that concern, but either of above scenarios may put more capable folk in the party that could look as if they’d have a reasonable shot.
I must say I didn’t like that statement of going after labour now they’ve done the Tories - where instead are the policies that make them better? It was an odd and creepy statement imo.
I think if Tories do go right they will see how that works first before considering any joining with reform - basically Farage won’t be leader of Tories now, if ever.
Another point is it’s probably a lot less profitable for him than heading up a political company for now and Farage isn’t shy or slow at ensuring his position works for him financially.

I would argue he is not effective nor charismatic but is a smarmy little chancery.

OP I think if he were to defect to the Tories it would basically kill the party off for good rather than revive it! Tories will not love it nor the connotations association with him would bring.

No Kemi will be the next leader of the Tory’s. I’d vote for her

Hello, have you got a link to where he said this?

I can't see it, bearing in mind that it's Conservative MPs and party members who choose the leader. There are too many who will blame him for yesterday's losses, plus a faction who simply do not want the party to lurch to the right. I also suspect that he just hasn't got it in him to put in the necessary work.

A nonsensical idea as far as I am concerned. If he did join the Conservatives many of the ordinary members such as us, and MPs would leave and probably join SDL or start a new Party. He would be left with less than half a Party.

I'm hoping it is Irritable Duncan Syndrome. It would be a daily reminder to Starmer of his vicious stupidity in deselecting Faiza Shaheen.

But that's all they've got now. A fresh start, building a new more right leaning party, which appears to be what the members want?

I'm not at all saying I like the idea BTW, just that I can see it happening.

Too much proper work you mean? He might actually have to do something now, although he didn't when he was an MEP.

I think Robert Buckland summed it up at about midnight just after he had lost in Swindon. He said the party had to be more serious and not so internally competitive.
My view is that we must separate the types like Boris and Braverman who are set on winning at all costs and discard them. We need to support people who want to do the 'right thing' with openness and integrity. Rory Stewart is one of those. There are others such as Kemi Badenoch.
We will get there, but if it takes until 2 Parliaments so be it. No compromise!

I doubt it but I guess we’ll see if you’re correct

Most effective at what exactly

He was infamously not very hardworking when an MEP. He also had his pay docked for misuse of funds. I wouldn't hold up much hope for him holding people to account! He's a grifter. And an awful one at that.

www.dailyrecord.co.uk/news/politics/ukip-leader-nigel-farage-worst-8302679

To be clear, I think it would be a terrible, terrible thing.

I also think a Conservative party led by Farage might have won last night, which woukd have been a disaster, but presumably what they would have liked.

I'm not sure it would. New Labour won by going centrist, Starmer, arguably, too. Cameron did not make his pitch to the nation from the right wing. Even Boris got in on a promise to fix the fuck up he created rather than on a promise of right wing policies. I'm not sure that Reform would have the broad appeal to actually win. Especially led by Farage who is a very (let me be kind here) polarising figure.

It will be interesting to see who the candidates are. Realistically, is the Sunak replacement likely to be the leader going into the next election? Would anyone with designs on being PM be better off waiting?

I don’t know that can be claimed as he may have diverted more Cons to Labour