Dominic Cummings and Nigel Farage were both influential in the successful Brexit campaign.
Dominic Cummings and Reform UK leader Nigel Farage (Image: GETTY)
Nigel Farage has met with Dominic Cummings to discuss the reform of Whitehall, fuelling speculation that the Reform UK leader is serious about positioning himself as a future prime minister.
The apparent meeting would mark a remarkable turnaround, given the animosity between the two men during the Brexit campaign and beyond.
Mr Cummings, who masterminded the official Vote Leave campaign, was a fierce opponent of Clacton MP Mr Farage, whose separate Leave.EU group was, in effect, sidelined.
Their bitter feud was even depicted in the BBC docudrama Brexit: The Uncivil War, with actor Benedict Cumberbatch, portraying Mr Cummings as dismissive of Mr Farage and his influence.
Despite their history, the pair reportedly met recently for a “friendly chat about the general scene,” according to The Sunday Times.
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Topics are understood to have ranged from US politics and Donald Trump to Elon Musk and, crucially, the inner workings of Number 10 and the Cabinet Office.
They also discussed “the catastrophe of the Tory party and what Reform has to do to replace the Tories”.
In recent months, Mr Cummings has been increasingly vocal in his criticism of the Conservative Party. Previously, in talks to launch his own political movement, he backed Reform UK.
In a post on X (formerly Twitter), he urged voters to support Mr Farage’s party, stating: “Obviously everyone should vote Reform this spring… No downsides, just upsides.”
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Rupert Lowe has been highly critical of Nigel Farage in recent days (Image: Getty)
On his Substack, Mr Cummings outlined his vision for a political realignment, suggesting a merger between Reform and a revamped Conservative Party.
He explained: “Shove out Kemi [Badenoch] ASAP, take over Tories, get Trump/Elon to facilitate a merger with Reform, tip in a third force of elite talent and mass energy so voters see an essentially new political force whose essence is a decisive break with 1992-2024… break the coalition supporting [Sir Keir] Starmer, take over No 10, do regime change.”
According to Electoral Calculus, Mr Farage’s party is gaining ground ahead of May’s local elections. Projections indicate it could win control of up to eight councils.
However, Reform UK has been dogged by internal strife. Former MP Rupert Lowe was expelled from the party following a dispute over bullying allegations.
Dominic Cummings wants Donald Trump and Elon Musk to ‘facilitate’ a Tory/Reform merger (Image: Getty)
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Mr Lowe, who had criticised Mr Farage in a Daily Mail interview, later claimed he had been censored for speaking out on immigration.
The meeting between Mr Farage and Mr Cummings suggests a potential thawing of relations between two of the most influential figures in the Brexit movement.
Whether this signals a deeper political collaboration remains to be seen, but it underlines the growing momentum behind Reform UK as discontent with the Conservatives continues to grow.
Express.co.uk has approached Reform UK for comment.
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