Long-serving Tory open to Reform co-operation

Long-serving Conservative MP Sir John Hayes has suggested his party could work with Reform UK in the future, putting him at odds with Tory leader Kemi Badenoch.

He said Reform UK were "not capable of governing on their own" but were "on the same side" as the Conservatives "in terms of Labour".

"The possibilities of collaboration and cooperation are for the future," he said, during a Hotseat interview on BBC Radio Lincolnshire.

This week, Badenoch told the BBC that Nigel Farage's Reform UK were "neck deep in scandal" and joining forces with them would "just be one problem after another".

Asked if she would work with Reform in the case of a hung parliament after a general election, Badenoch replied: "If you want Conservative, you have to vote Conservative. I have said we'd have another election if there was no overall majority."

Sir John, 68, has been the MP for South Holland and The Deepings since 1997.

He said he had "been approached many times" to join Reform UK and "gets on very well with Nigel Farage and Richard Tice".

Tice is the MP for Hayes' neighbouring constituency of Boston and Skegness.

Sir John said he had been "tempted" to join Reform UK but said he was "a root and branch Tory".

"I know a lot of people in Reform," he said.

"Some of my former proteges are in Reform - Robert Jenrick, Suella [Braverman] and Danny Kruger too.

"My own politics are pretty close to all of theirs and always have been, but I do think there are issues with Reform."

He said the party had faced "pitfalls" over finances and "falling out with people".

Speaking at the Conservative Party conference in Birmingham this week, Badenoch said Reform voters "deserve better".

She said many were "our people" who the Conservative Party has let down.

"We want them to come back home," she said.

"They are not like us, we are not like them, we are different, we are the Conservative Party."

Sir John, who was energy minister between September 2012 and March 2013, also told BBC Radio Lincolnshire he was "fiercely opposed" to solar farms on agricultural land and "will fight them tooth and nail".

Lincolnshire is earmarked to get several large solar farms, including the Meridian Solar Farm near Spalding in Sir John's constituency.

"Solar is important, renewables do matter but, for heaven's sake, put them on buildings and low-grade land," he said.

"I will fight this battle relentlessly."

Lincolnshire County Council is pursuing two legal challenges against solar farms in the county, the Springwell Solar Farm and the Beacon Fen Energy Park.

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