Making plans for Nigel: tense Tories wonder whether Badenoch has what it takes to see off Reform | Pippa Crerar

With local election punishment looming, Conservative stress bubbled over after Jenrick's remarks about Farage

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

The joke, however, gets to the heart of what many of them fear most: that the Tory party is in such a parlous state that their only hope of survival will be to work with Nigel Farage to unite the right.