Legions of Conservative and Reform UK supporters want the two parties to merge, according to the latest YouGov polling. Forty-five percent of people who plan to vote for Nigel Farage’s party would support a union with the Tories while 43% are opposed. There is also significant support among backers of Kemi Badenoch’s party. Thirty-eight percent who intend to vote Conservative favour a merger while 45% do not. Among the whole electorate, one in five people (20%) support the formation of a single party but more than half (53%) do not like this prospect.

The polling comes as debate rages about how the two parties can avoid splitting the centre-Right vote at the next Westminster election.

Thursday's local and mayoral elections are considered a key test for Reform UK which will demonstrate whether their success in the opinion polls translates into triumphs at the ballot box.

Conservative peer Lord Jackson said: “I think it’s vital to unite the Right and get rid of this abysmal and damaging Labour Government. To that extent, both Reform and the Conservative party should keep open dialogue and the possibility of an electoral arrangement if not necessarily a merger in the run up to the next general election.”

Politico’s poll of polls puts Reform in first place on 25%, ahead of Labour (23%) and the Conservatives (21%).

Conservative Tees Valley mayor Ben Houchen made headlines this week when he said that if the coombined number of Conservative and Reform MPs would create a “significant majority” then “obviously there’s going to be a conversation to form a coalition or some sort of pact”.

Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer said a Tory-Reform coalition would be a “disaster for Britain”.

David Campbell-Bannerman, a former deputy leader of Ukip who now chairs the Conservative Democratic Organisation told the Express that while it is “too early to talk of mergers or deals” the “shared priority is to ensure this terrible government never gets a second chance”.