The Brits have always had an appetite for pizza, espresso and the hills of Tuscany, but there seems to be a new trend Italian imitation developing – on the right of the political spectrum at least.

The Tory tribe, despairing at the realisation that they and their policies are not overly popular with the British people, seem to have been contemplating giving their party helm to an … eccentric and making an alliance with a rightwing nationalist party.

Sound familiar? When the Italian right found itself in a difficult predicament they were unable to resist the charms of a fairly wealthy individual who went on to become the most colourful prime minister Europe has seen in a while. His domination of Italian politics was assisted by a pact with the more-right-than-right Northern League, which was headed by a gifted but populist politician.

Of course comparisons are never absolute but there are similarities.

On the first count, more and more people from the right of the Conservative party are lining up behind Boris Johnson, the unconventional (to put it mildly) mayor of London. They are disappointed with the not-Conservative-enough David Cameron and they are lured by Johnson’s ability to win elections (albeit against opposition candidates that not even their own parties fancied much). Dave has not been forgiven yet for failing to win an election against an exhausted and out-of-ideas government. Boris also says all the right things: he is Eurosceptic, unashamedly pro-business, anti-regulation and hates the unions. Throw in the fact he is unapologetic about his privileged background and there you have it. What’s not to like?

On the second count, the idea of teaming up with the Eurosceptic UKIP is also gaining ground: a recent ConservativeHome survey found that as much as 60 per cent of Tory members think a pact with UKIP will help the Tories win the next election. Rightwing Conservatives are both concerned by UKIP’s populist appeal, especially in marginal seats, and seduced by their uncompromising stance in policy areas dear to the right, like immigration, law and order and of course Europe. UKIP’s leader Nigel Farage, a populist who will bend the truth as far as his audience allows him, speaks straight to the very core of those Conservatives who find the Cameroons soft and too liberal for their liking.

So here you are: a party halfway through a parliament, uncomfortable in a coalition government that it considers almost as bad as defeat, worried about what the future holds, is flirting with politicians and political partners in a desperate effort to change its fortunes. But will it?

Though Johnson is entertaining and is currently riding on the Olympic wave, his appeal does not extend far beyond London. As a Labour contact of mine recently put it, ‘Boris is perfect for London’ but that certain je ne sais quoi of his diminishes once he crosses the M25. Who would be foolish enough to elect him as Tory leader and expect him to win a national election?

But the most harmful, in political terms, move will be teaming up with a party like UKIP. Even if such an alliance only takes place in certain constituencies, such a move will probably cost the Conservatives as many votes as it might gain them and will reinforce the image of the party in the minds of people across the country who reside at the centre of the political spectrum as a little England party obsessed with Europe.

So is this just silly season speculation, or serious political machinations? Probably a bit of both. But whatever it is, it lays bare the state the Conservative party is in. Uncomfortable in its own skin, unhappy with its leadership, unsettled and rebellious, ready to indulge all sorts of notions as long as they entertain, even for a brief moment, outlandish ways of achieving electoral victory. The next six months will be interesting.

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Petros Fassoulas is chair of the European Movement UK

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Photo: Leo Reynolds