Video: Nigel Farage: I am a plague carrier as far as the Tories are concerned Speaking to the Telegraph's Senior Political Correspondent Chris Hope at the Manchester conference, Nigel Farage said that although the Tory leadership treated him as a "plague carrier" he was still open to the idea of local pacts between Conservative and Ukip candidates at the next election. A number of high-profile Conservatives, including MP Jacob Rees-Mogg, have floated the possibility of an alliance with Ukip in the run-up to the election to avoid splitting the right-wing vote.