Boris Johnson issues brutal verdict on Nigel Farage becoming next PM

insisted he does not believe will be the next prime minister. The Tory former PM dismissed speculation that the Reform UK leader will win the keys to No 10 at the next general election, due by 2029.

Asked if he thought Mr Farage would enter 10 Downing Street, Mr Johnson told GB News: "I don't, no. No. And I think that if you look at the direction of travel of the country, at the moment, the case for conservatism is really overwhelming."

Mr Johnson insisted that the Tories will "recover", adding: "Of course they will. Because I think in the end, the people of this country are going to be completely fed up by 2028, 2029, whatever it is, with a high tax, high regulation, massively woke government that is taking us in completely the wrong direction. And so the goal is really wide open."

He also rejected calls for a merger between the Conservatives and Reform UK.

The ex-premier said: "You cannot in politics, you can't hope to make yourself more compelling or attractive or dynamic or successful by having some sort of transplant operation or merger, or monkey glands infusion from another party, it doesn't work.

"It doesn't work. What I always used to say, and remember that Reform was on zero when I was around."

Mr Johnson, who led the Tories to a landslide victory at the 2019 election, also played down ongoing rumours that he could make a bombshell political comeback.

He said: "I've got as much of a chance of returning to Parliament, as I have of being decapitated by friends, being locked in a disused fridge or being reincarnated as an olive, or whatever else it was I used to say.

"I think I've got a very productive life doing all sorts of things that really interest me.

"I spent a lot of time trying to campaign for Ukraine and to make sure that people's awareness and understanding of that is raised where it needs to be, where it needs to be raised.

"But I think that I'm a proud, passionate Conservative, and I'm sure that we are going to come back, and I think Kemi has got every chance of turning this thing around, I really do."

It comes as right-wing insurgent party Reform has been topping polls in recent months.