One Nation leader Pauline Hanson has called on Opposition Leader Angus Taylor to stop attacking her party and instead work alongside it to remove Labor from government, escalating an increasingly bitter contest for conservative voters ahead of Australia’s next federal election.

Speaking while on a visit to the United Kingdom, Senator Hanson responded to Mr Taylor’s strongest criticism yet of One Nation, after the Coalition leader accused the party of promoting economically reckless policies that would leave Australia facing soaring debt, higher inflation and sharply increased mortgage costs.

Rather than retreating from the criticism, Senator Hanson argued the Coalition should recognise the growing support for One Nation and work cooperatively against their common political opponents.

“Listen to the people Angus and work with me. Stop denigrating One Nation and let’s work together.”

She said the Coalition’s primary objective should be removing the Albanese Government from office.

“Let’s get rid of Labor and the Greens.”

The exchange comes after Mr Taylor delivered a major speech attacking One Nation’s economic platform, claiming just four of the party’s flagship policies would cost taxpayers around $1 trillion over a decade.

He argued those commitments would inevitably fuel inflation, force interest rates higher and potentially add around $20,000 a year to repayments for the average Australian mortgage holder.

Mr Taylor described One Nation as lacking a credible economic plan and warned voters against treating the party as a serious alternative government.

His comments marked a significant shift in tone as the Coalition attempts to halt the steady flow of conservative voters towards Pauline Hanson’s party.

Opinion polling over recent months has shown One Nation attracting unprecedented levels of support, creating fresh political pressure on the Liberal-National Coalition while also giving Labor another opponent to campaign against.

Senator Hanson rejected Mr Taylor’s assessment, arguing that many of the positions now being promoted by the Coalition had originated with One Nation.

She pointed specifically to immigration, net zero emissions and other conservative policy debates, claiming the Coalition had gradually adopted positions that One Nation had advocated for years.

“They’re following us now,” she argued, saying the Liberal Party should acknowledge changing public opinion rather than attacking One Nation.

The dispute highlights the increasingly complicated relationship between Australia’s two largest conservative political forces.

While both parties compete for many of the same voters, Australia’s preferential voting system has historically meant that Coalition candidates often benefit from One Nation preferences in closely contested seats.

Despite that reality, Mr Taylor has repeatedly ruled out any formal electoral arrangement or seat-sharing deal with One Nation.

Last month he rejected suggestions the Coalition would negotiate targeted electoral agreements, insisting the Liberal and National parties intended to contest seats independently.

Political analysts say the Coalition faces a difficult balancing act.

On one hand, it wants to regain conservative voters who have shifted to One Nation over issues such as immigration, energy policy and cost-of-living pressures.

On the other, it must avoid alienating moderate metropolitan voters whose support is also critical if the Coalition hopes to return to government.

That strategic dilemma has become increasingly visible in recent weeks as senior Coalition figures have adopted differing public approaches towards One Nation.

Some Liberal MPs have advocated drawing sharper distinctions between the two parties, while others have suggested adopting tougher positions on migration and cultural issues in an effort to win back conservative support.

Senator Hanson’s latest comments also follow several high-profile speeches in which she has argued Australia should abandon multiculturalism in favour of what she describes as a “monocultural” national identity.

Those remarks generated widespread political criticism from Labor, the Greens and many Coalition MPs, while also reinforcing One Nation’s appeal among some conservative voters concerned about immigration and national identity.

During her current visit to Britain, Senator Hanson has also met British political activist Tommy Robinson and is expected to attend a conservative political conference featuring Reform UK leader Nigel Farage.

The overseas meetings have attracted additional scrutiny in Australia because of Robinson’s controversial public profile and previous legal history.

For Mr Taylor, the political challenge extends beyond policy differences.

The Opposition Leader must convince conservative Australians that the Coalition remains the most credible alternative government while preventing further defections to One Nation without sacrificing support among centrist voters.

His recent economic attack on One Nation appears designed to question the party’s readiness for government rather than simply criticise its political messaging.

Senator Hanson, however, argues that conservative voters are looking for greater unity rather than public infighting.

She maintains that the Coalition should focus its political energy on defeating Labor instead of attacking parties that broadly share concerns over immigration, energy costs and government spending.

Whether that appeal gains any traction inside Coalition ranks remains uncertain.

Mr Taylor has consistently maintained that while preference flows remain part of Australia’s electoral system, One Nation’s policies are fundamentally incompatible with responsible economic management.

The increasingly public exchange nevertheless underlines how much Australia’s conservative political landscape has changed.

Instead of Labor being the Coalition’s only major electoral challenge, the Opposition must now compete simultaneously against the government, the Greens in some electorates, and an increasingly influential One Nation movement that continues to reshape debates around immigration, energy, multiculturalism and the cost of living.

With the next federal election drawing closer, the contest for conservative voters is likely to intensify further, ensuring the relationship between Angus Taylor and Pauline Hanson remains one of the defining political storylines of the campaign.