Jacob Rees-Mogg: How to Unite Reform, Restore & the Tories

 

Jacob Rees-Mogg: How to Unite Reform, Restore & the Tories

During a panel discussion at the Conservative Party Conference, Sir Jacob Rees-Mogg detailed his strategy for defeating the Labour government: the UK’s right-wing political parties must formalize an alliance or risk destroying each other under the first-past-the-post voting system.

His analysis addresses the specific roles of Reform UK, the fringe party Restore, and the Conservative Party:

1. The Strategy for Reform UK and the Tories

Rees-Mogg argues that the ideological policy gap between the Conservatives and Nigel Farage’s Reform UK is incredibly narrow. He has proposed a "coupon election" pact—modeled after the historic 1918 UK election—where the two parties agree not to contest the same seats.

• The "Big and Generous Offer": He suggested that the Conservatives should stand aside and not oppose Reform UK in roughly 98 seats where Reform finished second to Labour in the previous election.
• Reconciliation: While acknowledging that Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch and Reform leadership publicly reject a deal, Rees-Mogg claims this is normal posturing. He compared it to David Cameron and Nick Clegg's unexpected 2010 coalition, asserting that agreements can materialize rapidly once real electoral necessity takes over.

2. The Simplest Solution: Returning to the "Broad Tory Family"

Rees-Mogg noted that the most seamless path to unity is for voters and politicians from both Reform and Restore to "see the light" and return to the Conservative Party. He categorizes these voters as inherently belonging to the broader traditional Tory family, sharing a core desire for tax cuts, reduced state bureaucracy, independent borders, and supply-side economic reforms.

3. Sidelining "Fringe" Entities Like Restore

While Rees-Mogg heavily champions a pact with a major force like Reform UK, he firmly rejects aligning with Rupert Lowe's Restore party. He dismissed Restore as a fringe group, noting that some of its members harbor "undesirable views" that alienate mainstream voters, and warned that aligning with every minor right-wing offshoot compromises political legitimacy.

Why He Believes Unity is Urgent

Rees-Mogg stressed that a divided Right faces a heightened threat because the Left is actively consolidating. He highlighted the growing appeal of left-wing figures like Andy Burnham and Green Party Leader Zack Polanski, warning that if the right-wing vote remains fractured, it will guarantee a "socialist coup" and hand a massive majority to the Left.