Nigel Farage fever sweeps Tory conference as he poses for selfies with adoring ... trends now
Nigel Farage fever swept Tory conference today as he posed for selfies with activists - but dismissed talk of rejoining.
Rishi Sunak hinted that the door is open for the Brexit champion to make a comeback after he was the surprise hit of the gathering in Manchester.
The PM insisted the party is a 'broad church' and welcomed anyone who shares 'our values' when quizzed on the Brexit champion rejoining.
But the ex-MEP quickly poured cold water on the idea, condemning the Conservatives for hiking taxes and failing to tackle immigration.
Mr Farage is at the conference for the first time in a decade - albeit on a media pass in his capacity as a GB News commentator - 30 years after he quit in protest at the Maastricht Treaty.
He has been given a rapturous reception by the Tory faithful, and was filmed dancing energetically with Priti Patel to Frankie Valli's Can't Take My Eyes Off You.
The warmth of members towards Mr Farage has been noted by senior Conservatives, who compared his star quality to that of Boris Johnson.
A former Cabinet minister told MailOnline he would 'easily win a Tory leadership election if he made it to the membership'.
Asked during broadcast interviews today whether Mr Farage would be allowed back into the fold, Mr Sunak said: 'Look, the Tory party is a broad church.
'I welcome lots of people who want to subscribe to our ideals, to our values.'
Pressed whether that extended to Mr Farage, the PM said: 'Look the thing I care about is delivering for the country and the more people as we've seen at this conference - we've had record attendance I think at this conference. Lots of energy, lots of engagement.'
Nigel Farage fever swept Tory conference today as he posed for selfies with activists - but dismissed talk of rejoining
Mr Farage is at the conference for the first time in a decade - albeit on a media pass in his capacity as a GB News commentator
The grinning former home secretary and the ex-Brexit Party leader duetted on Frank Sinatra's I Love You Baby, hours after he had given visible and vocal support to Liz Truss 's attack on Rishi Sunak's leadership
It is his first attendance for a decade and it prompted calls from some Tory MPs for him to rejoin the party 30 years after he quit over support for the Maastricht Treaty
Rishi Sunak (pictured touring conference stands today) appeared to open the door for a comeback by the Brexit champion as he insisted the party is a 'broad church' and welcomed anyone who shared 'our values'.
But asked about Mr Sunak's comments, Mr Farage said: 'Would I want to join a party that's put the tax rate up to the highest in over 70 years, that has allowed net migration to run at over half a million a year, that has not used Brexit to deregulate to help small businesses?
'No, no and
