Swinney warns Farage could be next UK PM amid Tory election losses

Following significant losses by the Conservative Party in recent local elections and major gains by Reform UK, political leaders and analysts in the UK are warning of a real possibility that Nigel Farage could become the next prime minister. Scottish First Minister John Swinney expressed fear over this prospect, while Conservative leader Kemi Badenoch acknowledged the turbulent political climate and admitted that Farage's rise to power is possible, emphasizing it is her responsibility to prevent it. Badenoch attributed Reform UK's success to widespread protest and frustration with the main parties, and urged her party to remain patient as she works to rebuild its fortunes. Meanwhile, internal Tory dissent is growing, with some MPs plotting to replace Badenoch, and former cabinet minister Justine Greening calling for the party to reinvent itself. Nigel Farage, for his part, declared that Reform UK has supplanted the Conservatives as the main opposition to Labour. These developments highlight a rapidly shifting political landscape in the UK marked by uncertainty and volatility.