Nigel Farage has insisted he is not currently seeking to join the Conservative Party.
The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader said “you must be joking” when asked about the move as he attended the launch of the new right-wing Popular Conservatives movement today.
He said: “I’m not looking to join the Tory party, you must be joking.
“Not at the moment, given what they stand for.
“And as far as this group’s concerned, I’d rather be part of Reform because that’s the real thing.”
Pressed whether he will remain a GB News presenter or stand as a Reform UK candidate, Mr Farage added: “I’m very happy with life as it is, thank you very much indeed.”
But he teased: “Doesn’t mean I won’t change my mind.”
Mr Farage also cast doubt over whether any of the ideas discussed at the PopCon launch, where speakers include former PM Liz Truss, will make it into the next Tory manifesto.
Asked why he was at the Westminster event, he said: “Number one, I’m going to be covering this on GB News later on this evening.
“And number two, I’m motivated and interested by ideas. That’s why I was in Ukip and not the Conservative Party.
“I suspect I would agree with a lot of what is said on the platform this morning, but none of it is going to be Conservative manifesto policy.
“And that’s really the point here. Whilst there were some big names like Liz Truss, Jacob Rees-Mogg – I saw Priti Patel coming into the audience earlier – they are a very small minority within the parliamentary Conservative Party.”
He said the party is now “so far away from the centre of gravity of most Conservative voters, it is almost untrue”.
His latest comments come amid speculation over whether he will make a political comeback.
Mr Farage is currently honorary president of insurgent party Reform UK.
