Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson have been urged to join forces to stop Labour winning the next General Election.

Nadine Dorries, who sensationally defected from the Tories to Reform UK last week, said that the 'biggest egos in modern British politics' should form a pact to bring down Sir Keir Starmer's malfunctioning Government.

Ms Dorries, a long-term supporter of Mr Johnson, said: 'If there's a will to make the lives of people better, then I think both men could and would find some way to accommodate each other's egos and to coexist for the sake of the country.'

The former Culture Secretary's remarks, on the Mail's Alas Vine And Hitchens podcast, came as Mr Farage closed his party's annual conference by telling his jubilant followers to prepare for power – and to keep their disagreements private. He said: 'You are the people's army and to succeed means one thing: discipline.'

Meanwhile, the Prime Minister was battling to stabilise his Government after Angela Rayner's dramatic resignation on Friday for failing to pay up to £40,000 tax owed on a luxury seaside apartment.

Tory leader Kemi Badenoch uses an article in today's Mail on Sunday to argue that, in the wake of the Rayner scandal, Sir Keir did not have the 'moral authority' to raise property taxes in November's Budget.

Ms Badenoch writes: 'While she [Rayner] was dodging her taxes, Labour spent the summer planning to raise property taxes on ordinary law-abiding families at the Budget this November.

'Angela Rayner was leading the charge, writing to the Treasury in a memo that was then leaked, demanding higher stamp duty. It's nothing less than pure hypocrisy. And now the dust is settling on this scandal, it's clear that Labour has no moral authority to raise taxes on family homes.'

Sir Keir's panic reshuffle was at risk of unravelling after Jewish leaders complained that Shabana Mahmood, the new Home Secretary, was a pro-Palestinian 'activist' who had 'encouraged mob rule'.

In addition, outspoken criticisms incoming Foreign Secretary Yvette Cooper made of Donald Trump also emerged in which she accused him of 'Islamophobia, xenophobia and hatred'.

The Prime Minister is now facing the fresh nightmare of a party election for the vacant post of Labour deputy leader, with the Left mobilising to field a high-profile candidate.

Last night there were even suggestions from sources near Ms Rayner's Ashton-under-Lyne constituency that she could make things even more difficult for Sir Keir by resigning from the Commons all together. 

That would raise the prospect – hoped for by some on the Labour Left – of Greater Manchester mayor Andy Burnham giving up his post and standing in the by-election as a precursor to a bid to succeed Sir Keir. 

Ms Dorries – who revealed her defection on Thursday by telling the Daily Mail that she was leaving the Tory Party because it was 'dead' – warned that if the Right continued to be split then it could pave the way for a Left-wing 'unholy alliance' of Jeremy Corbyn, the Greens and even Ms Rayner taking power.

Ms Dorries declared: 'We need all the political talents on the right of centre putting their shoulder to what needs to be done for the country. '

She said that there would have to be 'some kind of accommodation' between the Tories and Reform – but warned that Mr Farage was not interested in attracting the 'majority' of Conservative MPs.

She said: 'I think there are some figures, but very, very small in number, that he would welcome. But the truth for most Conservative MPs is there would be no common ground for rapprochement.' 

Delegates at the Reform conference in Birmingham claimed that former Prime Minister Liz Truss had been 'sniffing around' the party, with two groups she founded – Popular Conservatism and the Growth Commission – said to be 'dominating' fringe events. But one delegate with knowledge of Mr Farage's thinking did not expect her to be invited to join, saying: 'Nigel is not mad.' 

Mr Farage has put his party on red alert for a general election as early as 2027 after predicting that the Labour government would disintegrate.

Lucy Connolly, who was imprisoned for a 'racist tweet' and visited in jail by Reform's deputy leader Richard Tice, appeared at the conference yesterday, telling the crowd she 'learnt a lot, not all legal' from prison and would use her 'experiences to work with Reform UK in the future' on criminal justice reforms. She received a standing ovation.

To listen to the full interview with Nadine Dorries on the rise of Reform and the state of British politics, search for Alas Vine & Hitchens now, wherever you get your podcasts.