Nigel Farage would not be welcome in the Conservative Party under Mel Stride’s leadership, the candidate said, as he ruled out any deals with Reform UK.

Mr Stride, who announced his bid to replace Rishi Sunak last month, has criticised Mr Farage’s response to the riots taking place in parts of England and Northern Ireland and said the Reform UK MP was “irresponsible and wrong to fuel the fires”.

Mr Farage has made claims of “two-tier policing” and suggested that the riots have been dealt with more harshly than other recent protests such as the Black Lives Matter (BLM) movement.

Mr Farage’s comments against a backdrop of the worst public order offences the UK has witnessed for many years will inevitably have been seen as hugely unhelpful by right thinking people in what is a volatile situation

Mr Stride, the former work and pensions secretary, said there would no place for Mr Farage if he was elected party leader, but added that he hoped to “unite” the Tory party and rebuild trust with members who voted for Reform UK at the General Election.

The MP for Central Devon said: “Mr Farage’s comments against a backdrop of the worst public order offences the UK has witnessed for many years will inevitably have been seen as hugely unhelpful by right thinking people in what is a volatile situation.

“In making these statements he has linked the violence to community division resulting from immigration. He is irresponsible and wrong to fuel the fires of rumour and in doing so, can only further damage social cohesion.

“As leader I will reunite and rebuild trust in the Conservative Party amongst those who voted Reform at the General Election. Their concerns need to be fully respected and properly addressed. Under my leadership we will do just that.

“Some have suggested that a deal should be done with Mr Farage as part of that process. That will not happen under my leadership and there will be no place for him or Reform at the Conservative table.”

One of Mr Stride’s leadership rivals, Robert Jenrick, urged the Government to “back our brave police officers in using the full force of the law without fear or favour to restore order”.

In a video posted to X, Mr Jenrick said: “Now is the time to punish the guilty, to lock up the rioters and to take back control of Britain’s streets.”

Kemi Badenoch, James Cleverly, Dame Priti Patel and Tom Tugendhat are the other contenders competing for the top spot in the Tory party.

Shadow home secretary Mr Cleverly criticised Sir Keir Starmer’s announcement of a “standing army” of specialist police officers, and posed a series of questions to the Government on plans to deal with the riots.

Writing on X, he said: “Police forces across the UK have officers who are public order trained, but when not dealing with disorder they have other police duties.

“Will this ‘standing army’ of officers have no other duties? If so, what will they do when there are no riots? Or is Starmer expecting permanent riots?”

The widespread disorder across the country followed the fatal stabbings of three girls at a Taylor Swift-themed holiday club in Southport last week.

Hundreds of people attended a peaceful vigil in the Merseyside town on Monday evening a week on from the murders of Bebe King, Elsie Dot Stancombe and Alice Dasilva Aguiar.

Incorrect rumours – that the suspect in the stabbings was an asylum seeker who arrived in the UK on a small boat – which spread on social media appear to have fuelled the unrest.