Kemi Badenoch rejects any post-election alliance with Reform UK

The short version

• Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch ruled out negotiating a governing pact with Reform UK if no party secures a majority at the next election.[BBC News]
• Badenoch criticized Reform UK as consumed by scandal and argued that collaborating with the party would bring ongoing trouble.[BBC News]
• The refusal comes as opinion surveys project a hung parliament, with the Conservatives trailing behind Labour and Reform UK.[Associated Press · BBC News]

Key facts

• Kemi Badenoch stated she would rather face a second election than enter an agreement with Reform UK to govern.[BBC News]
• Badenoch characterized Reform UK as immersed in scandal and asserted that teaming up would cause continuous difficulties.[BBC News]
• Nathan Gill, a former leader of Reform in Wales, received a 10-and-a-half-year prison sentence for accepting bribes in exchange for pro-Russia speeches and interviews.[BBC News]
• Badenoch proposed halving employer national insurance rates for workers aged 21 to 24 to reduce hiring expenses.[BBC News]
• Electoral polling points to a hung parliament where Labour leads, followed by Reform UK and the Conservatives.[Associated Press · BBC News]
• The Conservative Party retained 121 seats in the 650-seat House of Commons following the 2024 general election.[Associated Press]

Sources

Outlet counts describe coverage, not independent confirmation. Reports may share a wire service or original source.

• I'd rather have another election than do a deal with Reform UK, says BadenochBBC News - Top Stories
• UK Conservative leader says the party is reviving and rules out a pact with Farage’s Reform UKAssociated Press · Wire: associated-press