Latest News: Ken Clarke issues surprising two-word verdict on Nigel Farage’s election hopes…..See More

Ken Clarke also said found it “almost unimaginable” that someone like Donald Trump could become president of the most powerful country in the world.

Lord Clarke, the former Chancellor and Tory “big beast”, has issued a surprising verdict on Nigel Farage’s political prospects, declaring that Reform UK would do “extraordinarily well” if a general election were held today.

However, the famously europhile peer – formery Ken Clarke – stressed that he was “flatly against” the idea of the Conservatives forming a coalition with the party.

The 84-year-old veteran politician, who served as the Conservative MP for Rushcliffe for 50 years, made his comments shortly after Reform UK topped a YouGov poll for the first time.

The party, which is led by Mr Farage, pushed the Conservatives into third place, sparking discussions about the possibility of a future coalition. Some MPs, including Newark’s Robert Jenrick, have been reluctant to rule out cooperation with Reform.

However, Lord Clarke , speaking to Nottinghamshire Live in a wide-ranging interview, was scathing in his assessment.

He said: “Robert seems to have changed extraordinarily.

“He was a perfectly reasonable One Nation Tory when I had him as a political neighbour and got on very well with him. He seems to have suddenly converted to being a Nigel Farage imitator.”

While Reform UK’s recent polling success has caught the attention of many, Lord Clarke is unequivocal about a possible Conservative-Reform coalition.

He said: “I’m flatly against it. After Boris Johnson and Liz Truss, I was a rather discontented Conservative myself. If they merge with Reform, then whatever new leadership was doing that would have to persuade people like me to continue to vote for the party.”