Nigel Farage’s return to the political front-line is “nothing short of a disaster” for Rishi Sunak and the Conservative Party, a leading polling expert has said. 

Mr Farage stunned Westminster yesterday afternoon as he reversed his decision not to stand as a candidate as he also replaced Richard Tice as Reform leader. 

He announced he will run to become the MP for Clacton as he raised the stakes ahead of the national contest on July 4. 

Chris Hopkins, the political research director at the polling company Savanta, said: “This is nothing short of a disaster for the Conservative Party. Everything about this election, from the timing to the apparent strategy, was aimed at squeezing Reform UK’s vote. 

“With Farage’s announcement that is now much harder, and Rishi Sunak has nowhere to go - politically or electorally.”

Grant Shapps, the Defence Secretary, last night denied Mr Farage’s return was the Tories’ “worst nightmare” and argued that voting for Reform would be the “worst thing possible” for people to do if they care about reducing migration because it could boost the chances of a Labour victory. 

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