Conservative Party donors have opened secret talks with Nigel Farage about an electoral pact which would see the party not stand candidates against the Brexit Party in dozens of seats at a snap general election.

Speculation is growing that the next Tory leader will have to call a snap election to bring in new MPs who will agree to take the UK out of the European Union by the end of October.

A new poll in the Sunday Times put Mr Farage's Brexit Party in first place on 24 per cent, three points ahead of the Tories and Labour on 21 per cent.

The news emerged as Johnny Leavesley, the head of the party's biggest donor group the Midlands Industrial Council, wrote in The Telegraph that the next Prime Minister "needs to be willing to work with Farage".

Rory Stewart, the third favourite to be crowned Tory leader, also personally reached out to Mr Farage, telling him on his LBC radio phone-in that the Tories had "to find a way, as a party, of reaching out to you".

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Under the idea, the Brexit Party could agree not to stand against Tory Brexiteer candidates, while the Tories would not fight Metropolitan Labour seats in the north of England where the Brexit Party is strong.

Supporters of a pact say it could stop Conservative MPs jumping ship to the Brexit Party if they become disillusioned with the new leader.

Two major Conservative donors have raised the issue in talks with Mr Farage. Tory donors are expected to press the remaining two Conservative party challengers at a private hustings for donors this coming Saturday.

Another businessman familiar with the talks about a pact were "very preliminary", adding "you have to get Boris on board and that is going to be very tricky" until or if he is elected leader.

Mr Farage is also expected to be pressed on the possibility of a tie-up when he is quizzed by an audience of up to 1,000 Telegraph readers at an event in London on Tuesday night.

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Mr Farage confirmed on Sunday that he had discussed the plans.

He said: "I have had a couple of approaches from people saying 'wouldn't this be a good idea?' To which I say 'to do what? Just to keep the Tories inside Number 10 and us in the EU?"

He added: "I don't trust any of them [the leadership candidates] to deliver a genuine Brexit and unless that situation changes, we are gearing up as an organisation to fight every seat in the country."

Mr Stewart, who is ranked a 16-1 outsider to be crowned leader, behind Jeremy Hunt (12-1) and Mr Johnson (1-5), said that he wanted to "use the Brexit Party's success to put an electric shock through Parliament and get it through".

He told Mr Farage on LBC radio: "We need to find a way, as a party, of reaching out to you and bring you in to try to work out how we crack this, how do we get this (Brexit) through parliament."

Mr Farage replied: "I would do a deal with the devil to get a proper Brexit."

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Writing in the Daily Telegraph, Mr Leavesley, whose Midlands Industrial Council of major donors gives millions of pounds to the Tories every year, said: "Many senior Tories would no doubt find alliance with the 'Marmite Farage' a repugnant proposition, but reality should force what could be a very convenient marriage.

"Farage knows he can’t win a General Election outright and many Conservatives will realise that is also their truth.

"A Brexit-Conservative Pact might lose the Tories much of their liberal-wing, but it would give clarity over Brexit and be the key to enough popularity to save them.

"In essence, the next Prime Minister needs to be willing to work with Farage."

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