'Is she up to it?' Conservatives unsure whether Badenoch can see off Farage

Some veteran Conservative MPs are so convinced that Robert Jenrick, the shadow justice secretary, is intent on striking an election pact with Reform UK that they have nicknamed him "Nigel's chancellor".

- Pippa Crerar

The joke gets to the heart of what many of them fear most: that the Tory party is in such a parlous state that its only hope of survival will be to work with Nigel Farage to unite the right. Kemi Badenoch, the party leader, has ruled this out, pointing out that Farage had vowed to "destroy" the Conservatives.

But she has struggled to escape speculation about her own leadership as her party struggles to adjust to the political wilderness.

Tensions bubbled over again this week when it emerged that Jenrick, who lost the leadership contest but has made little secret of his ambitions, had told a private meeting he would try to ensure the Tories and Reform did not compete against each other at the next election. Badenoch sat grim-faced in the Commons yesterday as Keir Starmer ribbed her over the remarks. "The member for Clacton is going to do what he always does: eat the Tory party for breakfast," he jibed. Farage, several rows back, shook with laughter.