Time for a clean out at No10! Kemi puts Tories on notice for general election 'within months'

Kemi Badenoch has warned the Tories to be ready for an election this year as polling showed tactical voting could keep the Right out of power.

The Tory leader branded Andy Burnham 'a gambler… who might fancy his chances' in a snap poll as early as December.

The warning came as two major opinion polls suggested that splits on the Right could deliver a hung parliament in which Labour is comfortably the biggest party.

The results led to renewed calls for the Conservatives and Reform UK to agree a deal that would 'unite the Right' in the event of a snap election.

Conservative peer Stewart Jackson told the Mail: 'It's in the national interest for the Right to unite in some kind of accommodation to prevent the catastrophe of a weak Labour minority government propped up by Green and Lib Dem extremist zealots and SNP separatists which would wreck the economy and open the borders.

'Conservatives and Reform UK should wise up before it's too late.'

Former Cabinet minister Jacob Rees–Mogg urged the two parties to cut a deal that would see them stand down candidates in parts of the country where the other was best placed to beat Labour.

He said: 'If there were an election now, the Conservatives and Reform would be well advised to sort something out because it looks like the Left are uniting and we are not. 

The Tory leader branded Andy Burnham 'a gambler… who might fancy his chances' in a snap poll as early as December. She is seen here visiting Cleanology on September 24

'The two leaders need to look at those polls and realise that some form of coming together is in the national interest.

'Things could be different in a year but they should be putting out feelers to each other now.'

Speculation is mounting in Westminster about the possibility of Mr Burnham calling a snap election. The Prime Minister has denied he is planning to go to the polls to secure his own mandate.

In theory, he could delay an election until the summer of 2029. However, many Labour MPs believe the worsening economic outlook could persuade him to go early. 

And some government advisers are pushing for an early election, arguing that the dip in support for Reform and the splits on the Right may give Mr Burnham his best chance of securing a majority of his own.

One source said there was 'a range of views' within government, but added: 'Most people think it's still way too risky.'

Mrs Badenoch told LBC: 'I think it's this December.' She added: 'I think Andy Burnham is a gambler. I think he might fancy his chances, but we fancy ours as well.'

The Conservative leader gathered her allies for an away day summit this month focused on preparing for a snap election. But two polls yesterday suggested splits on both the Left and Right could result in a chaotic result. 

A constituency by constituency poll by YouGov forecast that Labour would emerge as the biggest party with 241 seats in a snap election, with the Conservatives on 130 seats and Reform pushed into third with 123.

The Lib Dems would remain almost unchanged on 71, while the Greens would win just nine seats. The result would open up the possibility of a so–called 'rainbow coalition' involving Labour, the Lib Dems, Greens and nationalists. 

A similar poll by Survation put Labour as the largest party with 272 seats, with Reform second on 153, the Tories third on 85 and the Lib Dems on 69.

But the survey also suggested Reform could be squeezed down to just 62 seats by tactical voting. 

This would push Labour to 319 seats, just six short of an overall majority. The Conservatives would be the official opposition with 130 seats.

Reform sources played down the prospect of a tactical voting squeeze, saying it was 'very difficult to co–ordinate in a national election'. And Mrs Badenoch insisted she was not interested in a pact with Reform.

She told GB News her mission was 'about uniting the country, not just uniting the Right'.

Asked about the prospect of an electoral pact, she added: 'You can't just add those two groups together and assume that you're getting a block vote on the centre–Right.'

The Conservative leader said her reservations were also about 'character', and she was not interested in joining forces with a party continually mired in controversy.

'We just don't want this any more,' she said.

'People saw the Conservative Party doing all sorts of things that they didn't like, and I said, "I'm coming in to clean this up. Many of the problematic people have gone to Reform. How can we then join with them?"'

Nigel Farage has repeatedly ruled out a pact, saying his mission is to wipe out the Conservatives as an electoral force.

Former Tory PM Liz Truss said Mr Burnham would be 'mad' to call an early election.