Badenoch: Farage could be PM at next general election

Kemi Badenoch has admitted that Nigel Farage could become prime minister at the next general election after the Conservatives' dismal local election results.

- DAVID MADDOX

Still reeling from her party losing 45 per cent of the council seats it was defending last week, the Tory leader was pressed by Laura Kuenssberg on the BBC over whether Mr Farage could enter Downing Street at the next general election.

She replied: "Anything is possible. We live in politically turbulent times. It is my job to make sure he doesn't become prime minister." Her admission came as health secretary Wes Streeting conceded that there is "a realignment" in British politics and quipped that deciding who will win between the Tories and Reform is "like Alien vs Predator, you don't really want either one to win but one of them will emerge as the main challenger to Labour at the next general election".

Speaking on Sky News's Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips programme, Mr Streeting said: "I think Reform is definitely a real threat and one that we take seriously. I think there's clearly, on the right of British politics, a realignment taking place.