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Kemi Badenoch has been urged not to put up a candidate in the Makerfield by-election to stop Andy Burnham winning the seat. The Tory leader, who has ruled out any deals with Reform UK, urged all parties to compete so the "people of the constituency should make their choice about who it is they want to represent them".

Yet her decision may cause disagreement among backbench MPs and critics amid fears the Tories could split the vote on the Right and hand Labour the win. Speaking to the Daily Express, one senior Tory MP said the rival parties needed to "work out a comprehensive and orderly arrangement about how the two parties can work together". It would need to cover by-elections and "other matters, rather than ad-hoc arrangements", the MP added.

Tory grandee Sir Edward Leigh has also urged his party leader to do a deal with Nigel Farage.

He proposed that the Conservative Party stand down in Makerfield and that Reform UK do likewise in the forthcoming Aberdeenshire by-election.

Sir Edward said that doing so would "save the Union". He told The Telegraph: "My view is that if at the next general election - and I've said this again and again - there are two Right-wing parties slugging it off in every single constituency, as night follows day, there will be a Left-wing government."

Fears of vote-splitting are already miring the selection process for Reform and the Conservative Party.

Restore Britain, a party founded by the former Reform MP Rupert Lowe, has local businesswoman Rebecca Shepherd as its candidate.

Reform did not comment on vote-splitting fears when approached by the Express, but supporters have voiced concerns on social media.

Mr Farage's party is expected to select its own candidate in the coming days.

Former Conservative MP Jacob Rees-Mogg said he had already "suggested we stand aside in Gorton and Denton" when a by-election was held there earlier this year.

He added: "A mutual pact would be an excellent idea."

Mrs Badenoch shot down suggestions of a deal, saying that they were only done by parties "too lazy to just get on and select people and win on their own account".

A Conservative Party spokesman said: "We will be standing a candidate in the Makerfield by-election as we do in every by-election.

"Kemi has been clear, there will be no deal with Reform. Only the Conservatives have a clear plan to get Britain working again."

The Makerfield by-election was triggered after Josh Simons, the incumbent, vacated his seat to allow the Mayor of Manchester, Andy Burnham, to have a pathway back to Parliament.

Mr Burnham is predicted to supplant the embattled Prime Minister, Sir Keir Starmer, should he win.