Will there be a Tory/Reform pact?

Coffee House Shots

The Spectator

News, Politics, Government, Daily News

4.4 • 2.1K Ratings

🗓️ 8 February 2025

⏱️ 19 minutes

🔗️ Recording | iTunes | RSS

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Summary

While both Nigel Farage and Kemi Badenoch are quick to talk down speculation of a pact between the Tories and Reform, listeners may be surprised to hear that around Westminster such conversations are already taking place. With every new poll, Conservative MPs grow a little more anxious that by the time they go to the polls, they will have little claim to being the main opposition – and so some sort of agreement starts to make sense. That agreement could be anything from a non-aggression pact to bringing the two warring parties of the right under one leader. How likely is it?

Oscar Edmondson speaks to Katy Balls and Gawain Towler.

Plus: if you stay tuned until the end, we are joined by special guest Daniel, who gives us his reflections on his time as restaurant manager at one of Westminster's most important establishments: Chez Antoinette. He spills the beans on how to organise government's most powerful personalities into a seating plan – and who holds the record for the longest lunch in Chez history.

Transcript

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0:00.0	We're hosting our first Coffee House Shots live event of 2025 on the 26th February at the Emmanuel Centre in Westminster.
0:06.9	Join Michael Gove, Katie Bulls, Kate Andrews and very special guests, Jonathan Ashworth and Robert Jenrick for a look to the year ahead.
0:14.4	They'll be tackling such questions as, can the Chancellor reframe the budget in her first spring statement?
0:19.5	What will Trump's first 100 days look like? and will reform cause and upset at the local elections? For tickets, go to
0:26.0	spectator.co.uk forward slash coffeehouse live.
0:33.5	Hello and welcome to Coffee House Shots, the Spectator's Daily Politics Podcast. I'm Oskredminton,
0:38.8	and I'm joined today by Katie Balls and Reform Strategist Gawain Tauler, or I should say,
0:44.1	former reform strategist Gawain Tauler. And if you stay tuned until the end, we also have another
0:48.7	very special guest. We've got a Westminster exclusive, actually a world exclusive.
0:52.7	You've got to get to about minute nine.
0:55.6	Yeah.
0:56.4	Right here on the podcast, we'll have Daniel, who will be giving us his reflections on his time as restaurant manager at one of Westminster's most important establishments, Che Antoinette.
1:05.9	But first, the Tory Reform Pact. How likely is it?
1:10.0	Katie, you spoke about the chances of some sort of agreement between the old enemies reform and the Tory Reform Pact, how likely is it? Katie, you spoke about the chances of some sort of agreement
1:12.5	between the old enemies reform and the Tories in the magazine this week. And listeners might be
1:17.3	surprised to hear that conversations are actually taking place. Can you take us inside those
1:21.3	conversations? Yeah, I've managed to write a column this week, which I think has managed to annoy
1:24.8	just about everyone, which is always an encouraging sign.
1:32.8	Effectively, you get the official line from either the Reform Party or the Tory Party, they will tell you there is no way in hell. They will enter any kind of form of pact, perhaps not even a non-aggression
1:38.7	pact, or any merger even when it comes to the next election. But at the same time, this is a conversation that is not going away.
1:47.7	And there are lots of Tories who are talking about a potential reform Tory pact.
1:53.3	Of course, they would have to get others, including the Reform Party, on side.
	...

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