General Election 2019: Farage calls on Conservatives to stand aside for Brexit Party
Fresh from his apparently “unilateral” decision that The Brexit Party candidates would not contest seats won by Tories in 2017, Nigel Farage is now demanding a reciprocal arrangement.
The arch-Eurosceptic has urged Conservative candidates in some Labour-held seats to step aside for his own party.
Speaking to BBC Breakfast this morning, he said: “I’ve just gifted the Conservative party nearly two dozen seats and I did it because I believe in Leave.
“Now if they believed in leave what they would do is stand aside in some seats in Labour areas where the Conservative party has not won for 100 years and will never win.
“I think what you’re seeing from this reaction is for the Conservative party it is about them as a party, not about delivering Brexit.”
Assuming Boris Johnson returns to Downing Street as Prime Minister, Farage said The Brexit Party candidates would “hold him to account”.
“Too often over the years, recent years, the Conservatives have made promises and then backtracked on them. So that’s our plan, we need to win some of those Labour seats.”
Farage also rubbished any suggestions that US President Donald Trump had a hand in yesterday’s surprise move, saying the pair had not spoken since the LBC interview.
“He has no influence over my decision at all,” Farage said.
“My decision is made, number one, to stop a second referendum, to prevent Liberal Democrats winning seats in the south and the south-west, and number two, because Boris Johnson has indicated we’re now going for a free-trade deal, not political linkage.”
Main image: Getty