Ruth Davidson Firmly Opposes Nigel Farage Joining Tories, Declares Battle for Party’s Soul Amid Election Tensions

'Only over my dead body': Ruth Davidson describes it as 'foolish' for Conservatives to admit Farage

The ex-chief of the Scottish Conservatives warns of an internal conflict within the party should the Tories be defeated in the upcoming general election.

Tuesday, June 18, 2024, at 5

Ex-leader of the Scottish Conservatives, Ruth Davidson, has labeled the idea of Nigel Farage being admitted into the Conservative Party as "imbecilic," stating that it would occur only "over my cold, dead corpse."

At the unveiling of his party's policy manifesto, the leader of Reform UK took the opportunity to position his party as the true challenger to Labour, who, based on current polling, is expected to lead the next government following the general election.

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Mr. Farage stated that he does not plan to join the Conservative Party should he secure a victory in the Clacton constituency in Essex on July 4th, yet he did not definitively dismiss the possibility of joining the party at a later date.

During a discussion on Sky News' Electoral Dysfunction podcast, hosted by political editor Beth Rigby, former Labour adviser Ayesha Hazarika expressed her belief that he will secure a victory and subsequently switch allegiances to join the Conservatives.

"She believes he will mirror Trump's approach," she commented, suggesting he will dominate the Conservative Party similarly to how Donald Trump took control of the Republican Party.

Baroness Davidson indicated that allowing Mr. Farage to join would lead to a significant conflict among the members.

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"I was about to declare, over my lifeless body," she stated.

"I believe it would be entirely foolish for the party to allow someone who has opposed the party, whose declared goal is to dismantle the Conservative Party, to join and potentially execute a complete takeover, behaving like a parasitic worm that dominates its host."

"Indeed, I believe numerous Tories will indeed choose to remain and contend."

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Baroness Davidson suggested that if the Conservatives were defeated in the general election, the party would shift further to the right, sparking a battle over its core identity.

"She suggested that while some may acknowledge their faction is not dominant, there are still decisive, transformative events occurring," she stated.

"A scenario where Nigel Farage assumes leadership could potentially lead to a disastrous outcome, making it crucial to contend with."

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The individuals running for election in Clacton include:

• Matthew Bensilum, representing the Liberal Democrats

• Craig Jamieson, representing the Climate Party

• Tony Mack, Unaffiliated

• Natasha Osben represents the Green Party.

• Jovan Owusu-Nepaul, representing the Labour Party

• Tasos Papanastasiou, representing the Heritage Party

• Andrew Pemberton, representing the UK Independence Party

• Giles Watling, member of the Conservative Party

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