Stanley Johnson urges Tories to let Nigel Farage join and ‘save’ party

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Stanley Johnson has urged Rishi Sunak to let Nigel Farage join the Conservative “troops” to transform the party’s general election chances.

Boris Johnson’s father claimed the Tories should “open their arms” to the former Brexit party leader in a desperate bid to transform dire polling fortunes.

The Tory environmentalist said Mr Farage – currently causing rows on I’m a Celebrity … Get Me Out of Here! – could save the party in so-called red wall seats in the north of England.

“The Conservatives have to open their arms to Nigel. I think we cannot afford to have a man of that talent, not in our camp at the next election,” Mr Johnson Snr. told GB News.

He added: “I think we definitely need him as part of the troops. I think that he is going to help us save quite a lot of what we might call the red wall.”

Former chancellor George Osborne has said it is “not inconceivable” that the former Ukip boss could be a future Tory leader because of the party’s shift to the right and overtures from the party’s grassroots.

Mr Farage was feted by Tory members and seen dancing with former home secretary Priti Patel at the recent party conference. Mr Sunak even left the door open to his membership.

The hard-right politician has also flirted with the idea of joining the Tories in recent weeks as he seeks to raise his profile again – saying “never say never”, and telling his fellow I’m a Celeb contestants that it “depends how much mess the country gets in”.

But it is assumed any move into the Tory fold would happen after a likely Labour victory at the general election due in 2024.

Asked if he felt Mr Farage might join the party before the election, Mr Johnson Snr. said: “I would hope so.”

It comes as Mr Farage continues to clash with fellow ITV reality show contestants about politics in the Australian jungle – most notably with First Dates host Fred Sirieix on Brexit.

The controversial figure has argued that leaving the EU gives Britain the freedom to “make a mess of it ourselves”, and denied the claimed he helped ruin the economy as “absolute b******s”.

Another divisive topic came up on Tuesday, when discussion turned to the way that many members of the camp said the word “water” in a Patois accent.

Mr Farage complained that if a white person was to say the word in that accent, they’d be accused of “cultural appropriation”.

“They criticise when suits,” he said, with Nella Rose replying: “What do you mean, Nigel?” He responded: “If a white person does a Black accent, that’s considered to be a crime, that they should be cancelled for it.”

“It depends in what context,” she explained. “If you’re taking the p***, then you’re taking the p***. If you’re not, then you’re not.”

“Sort of ‘can’t win’ territory,” Mr Farage replied. “Nah, it just depends on the context,” she said.