Jacob Rees-Mogg tipped to leave Tories for Reform in huge blow to Kemi Badenoch

Fears are mounting among Tories that Jacob Rees-Mogg will quit and join Nigel Farage's Reform UK party. The former Conservative minister is keen to return to Parliament after losing his North East Somerset seat last year.

Brexiteer Sir Jacob is close to Mr Farage and has called for a Tory-Reform election pact to kick Labour out of office. He is also expected to steer clear of the Tory conference, Kemi Badenoch’s first as party leader, in October.

A Tory Party insider told the Sun on Sunday: "We have Jacob on defection watch. His politics are far closer to Nigel's than Kemi's and his seat is going to go to Reform.

"If he wants to come back as a politician - and he does - he will need to defect.

"It would be a massive blow to us though, and Reform's biggest defection by a mile."

But Sir Jacob played down talk he will defect. He said: "There is no need to put me on defection watch - there is no need to worry."

Reform insiders are already talking about which MPs get which Cabinet jobs under a Farage premiership.

An insider told the same paper: "Lee Anderson would be great in the Department for Work and Pensions to stop the scroungers.

“Richard Tice would be a perfect Business Secretary, fixing the broken relationship with the City."

Sir Jacob lost his seat to Labour's Dan Norris at the last election.

But Norris has been suspended by Labour after being arrested on suspicion of rape and child sex offences.

It could lead to a by-election in North East Somerset before the next general election.