Reform supporters overwhelmingly want Nigel Farage to join forces with Kemi Badenoch if he falls short of a majority at the general election.

A new survey of Reform UK members has found that a massive 90 per cent believe the party should 'form a coalition or do a deal with the Conservatives' in the event of a hung parliament.

Only 7 per cent would rather 'stay in opposition', according to research conducted by former Conservative deputy chairman Lord Ashcroft, if as - current polling suggests - Reform wins the most seats at the election but fails to secure a majority.

Another one per cent of grassroots Reform members said they would prefer an unlikely pact with Labour, the Liberal Democrats or the Greens.

Almost all of those questioned think the party will be in Government after the election with 48 per cent looking forward to an overall majority. But 45 per cent are expecting a coalition with the Conservatives.

The findings will add to the growing calls to ‘unite the right’ in order to avoid Labour clinging on at the next election or forming a radical Left-wing coalition. 

It comes days after Tory leader Mrs Badenoch ruled out a deal, claiming that Reform has ‘quite a lot of Left-wing ideas’, while Mr Farage said in April it would be ‘highly undesirable’ while failing to rule it out completely.  

Despite their confidence about the party’s chances at the ballot box, the online poll of 850 Reform members found widespread fears about the obstacles Mr Farage would face in becoming Prime Minister.

In total 89 per cent agreed that ‘the political establishment and civil service will do everything they can to stop Reform UK being given a fair chance to form a government and take office’. 

And even more (91 per cent) thought Whitehall 'will try to obstruct Reform ministers and their policies'.

The survey revealed that Zia Yusuf would be the most popular successor to Mr Farage as Reform leader.

Asked unprompted who they would like to see take over, 22 per cent of party members chose the combative home affairs spokesman, marginally ahead of Deputy Leader Richard Tice (21) with Chairman Lee Anderson third (6).

Although most (80 per cent) said they would want Mr Farage to stay on as leader even if his party did not form the next Government, 13 per cent felt he should step down.

The survey also contained warning signs for the party over the recent influx of former Tories, with 15 per cent agreeing 'Reform UK have let too many former Conservatives join' and 21 per cent saying 'it risks diluting the Reform brand and making us look like a party of failed Tories'.

Asked which political party they had supported before Reform UK, most (73 per cent) said the Tories with only 6 per cent switching from Labour.

But asked who they would vote for if there was no one from Reform on the ballot paper, 42 per cent said they would choose the candidate standing for Restore Britain – the right-wing party formed by Rupert Lowe after he fell out with Mr Farage.

Another 33 per cent said they would go with the Conservatives but 13 per cent said they would not vote at all.