Kemi Badenoch has repeated her support for post-local election deals with Reform UK. The Tory leader said she would be happy for Conservative councillors to team up with Nigel Farage's party to run town halls.

However, Mrs Badenoch again ruled a pact with the rival party, which has consistently polled higher than the Tories in recent months, at national level. Asked if she will forbid councillors from going into a coalition with Reform in the coming local elections on Sky News' Sunday Morning with Trevor Phillips, she said: "I want to be extremely clear, because people have often been confused by this. I'm not going into any coalition whatsoever with Nigel Farage or Reform at national level."

She added: "At local level, it's different. In the national election, you can rerun the election, at local level you can't. So, there might be no overall control. And what I've said to our councillors, I trust these people, they're very smart, they've been doing this for decades, is that you have to do what is right for your local area.

"At the moment, we are in coalition with Liberal Democrats, with Independents, we've been in coalition with Labour before at local government level. They have to look at who the people are that they're going into coalition with and seeing how they can deliver for local people.

"What I don't want to hear is talks of stitch-ups or people planning things before the result is out. They have to do what's right for their community."

Voters will go to the polls in 23 areas across England on Thursday to choose new councillors.

The Runcorn and Helsby by-election is being held on the same day, as well as six mayoral contests across devolved regions of the country.

Reform leader Mr Farage earlier this month insisted his insurgent party had "no intention" of striking pacts with the Tories "at any level".

The Clacton MP said: "The Tories broke Britain nationally for 14 years, and their councils continue to break local communities with the highest taxes ever and worst services.

"Reform have no intention in forming coalitions with the Tories at any level.

"We encourage everyone who wants real change to vote Reform on May 1."