How likely is Farage's Reform UK to 'take over' the Conservatives? Poll of the week
Yahoo UK's poll of the week lets you vote and indicate your strength of feeling on one of the week's hot topics. After 72 hours the poll closes and, each Friday, we'll publish and analyse the results, giving readers the chance to see how polarising a topic has become and if their view chimes with other Yahoo UK readers.
Nigel Farage has said his goal is for Reform UK to "take over" the Conservative Party as he launched his general election campaign in Clacton-on-Sea, Essex, in a bid to become MP on the eighth attempt.
A crowd of hundreds of people turned out at Clacton Pier to hear Farage, a day after he announced he would stand for Reform in the Clacton constituency, while also taking over the party leadership.
The 60-year-old told the crowd gathered: “Send me to parliament to be a bloody nuisance.”
His U-turn – Farage had previously said he wouldn't stand as a candidate again – is something of a nuisance for prime minister Rishi Sunak and his Conservative Party, whose vote could be dented significantly by Reform.
Earlier on Tuesday, Farage said his goal was to take over from the Conservatives rather than join them.
He told ITV's Good Morning Britain: “You can speculate as to what’ll happen in three or four years’ time, all I will tell you is if Reform succeed in the way that I think they can, then a chunk of the Conservative Party will join us – it’s the other way around.
“I don’t want to join the Conservative Party, I think the better thing to do would be to take it over.”
Farage had previously suggested he might be open to talks with the Conservatives, but has said he could not work with them in their current form.
But what do you think? Can Reform UK under Farage gain enough traction to eventually take over the Tories? Or are his claims just empty election promises?
This poll has now closed
Come back on Friday to read the results and analysis via the link below.
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