Summary of Nigel Farage's Brexit Party press conference:
- they are ready to stand all over England, Scotland & Wales and have 500+ candidates who have signed up
- fully funded for the campaign already
- wants to form a Leave Alliance with Tories and other like-minded candidates
- they are ready to stand all over England, Scotland & Wales and have 500+ candidates who have signed up
- fully funded for the campaign already
- wants to form a Leave Alliance with Tories and other like-minded candidates
- precondition: Boris Johnson *must* dump his deal and pivot to a Canada style free trade deal. BP won't form any alliances if the deal's still alive
- talked twice of a 1 July 2020 deadline to get this new free trade deal Brexit signed off, and if not leave with no deal
- talked twice of a 1 July 2020 deadline to get this new free trade deal Brexit signed off, and if not leave with no deal
- doesn't care what the motives of other parties are to join the Leave Alliance as long as they all sign up to the same Brexit approach
- gives until 14 November for horse trading with potential allies (that's the final day for candidates to register or withdraw)
- gives until 14 November for horse trading with potential allies (that's the final day for candidates to register or withdraw)
- claims that by pivoting to a free trade deal, he is compromising away from "clean break Brexit"
- calls Boris Johnson's deal "worse than Mrs May's appalling surrender treaty"
- acknowledges risk of splitting Leave vote but spins it as pressure to form a Leave Alliance
- calls Boris Johnson's deal "worse than Mrs May's appalling surrender treaty"
- acknowledges risk of splitting Leave vote but spins it as pressure to form a Leave Alliance
- beyond Brexit, wants political reform including proportional representation and reform to the House of Lords
- acknowledges the possibility that Boris Johnson could lie to the BP until it's too late to field candidates (ie 14 November) then change his stance
- acknowledges the possibility that Boris Johnson could lie to the BP until it's too late to field candidates (ie 14 November) then change his stance
- "no one party owns the Brexit vote, not even the Brexit Party - that's why we must build a Leave Alliance"
That's the main stuff. So we're kept guessing a while longer as to whether the BP will stand everywhere or not.
That's the main stuff. So we're kept guessing a while longer as to whether the BP will stand everywhere or not.
Is he likely to get his Leave Alliance ? Very, very unlikely. But might he tempt a few MPs away from the Tories or even Labour? I suppose there must be at least a chance of that.
