NIGEL Farage has teased the Tories he could become their leader within three years if the party readmit him.
The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader – who used to be a Tory member until 1992 - told PoliticsHome: “I’d be very surprised if I were not Conservative leader by ’26. Very surprised.”
He later said his prediction was made “in jest” but believed resistance among some MPs to welcome him into the party was hypocritical given that Rishi Sunak had suggested at Conservative conference earlier this month he could be readmitted.
"I welcome lots of people who want to subscribe to our ideals, to our values,” Sunak said at the time.
Greg Hands, Tory party chairman, dismissed the idea of Farage ever becoming leader.
“First of all there is no vacancy, and secondly I would be extremely surprised if Nigel Farage were ever to be Conservative leader.
“There are no plans to allow him into the party and he has not applied.”
Farage was dismayed by this reaction and said it was very “contradictory”.
During Labour conference earlier this month, MP Emily Thornberry also suggested Farage could become Tory leader.
She said: “If Nigel Farage is allowed into the Tory party, which looks like he will be, and if he's then given a seat, then he could end up being leader of the Conservative Party.”
George Osborne, the former chancellor, has also suggested – on his own podcast Political Currency – that Farage could rejoin the party and go on to be elected as leader.
