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Rishi Sunak has been urged to rule out doing a “dangerous and desperate deal” with Nigel Farage to stop him campaigning against the Tories at the general election.
Some Tory MPs want the prime minister to make the former Ukip leader Britain’s ambassador to America to prevent him backing Reform UK.
Conservative chairman Richard Holden repeatedly refused to rule out a pre-election pact with Farage when quizzed on the calls last night.
Labour’s Jonathan Ashworth has now called on Sunak to publicly make clear that he won’t enter into any agreement with the high-profile Brexiteer.
The shadow paymaster general also pointed to Farage’s previous suggestion that the West should enter into negotiations with Russia over Ukraine as proof of his unsuitability to represent the UK in Washington.
He said: “Rishi Sunak’s weakness leaves him pandering to the extremists in his party.
“He must put national interest before the Conservative party. No secret negotiations to keep the Farage wolf from the Tory door.
“Rishi Sunak must rule out this dangerous and desperate deal that risks threatening international unity against Russian aggression and undermining vital support for Ukraine.
“If the prime minister refuses to publicly rule out such a desperate deal, it will be clearer than ever that Rishi Sunak is too weak to act in the national interest.”
A Reform spokesperson insisted there was no chance of Farage doing a deal with the Tories.
He said: “It is clear that whoever is briefing this drivel has never met Farage, never heard him speak or even read about him or his character.
“What they are suggesting is a political bribe. The Tories have been offering him those since about the year 2000. It didn’t work then, why would they think it might work now?”
He added: “It might be sensible to offer him the ambassador’s job, because he is the only person in UK politics with a good relationship with Donald Trump, but not because some terrified Tories think it might save their rotten hides.”
