Boris Johnson news: Farage sparks backlash after ‘bottling it’ by dropping Brexit Party candidates in Tory-held seats

BREAKING: Nigel Farage backs down and pulls Brexit Party candidates in Tory seats

The Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has dropped more than 300 Brexit Party candidates in Tory seats across the country.

“The Brexit Party will not contest the 317 seats the Conservatives won at the last election,” he said.

He says he also realised over the last weeks his candidates could lead to “quite a large number of Liberal Democrat gains.”

He also said he doesn’t want a hung parliament. “If we do field 600 candidates – there will be a hung parliament.”

He admits his plans to forge a Leave alliance has “come to nought”.

Farage claims he was encouraged by Boris Johnson’s claim the transition period would not be extended, and he said was also encouraged by the PM’s talk about a trade deal without political alliance.

Nigel Farage at Brexit Party event in Hartlepool 

Farage ‘bottling it’, claims Labour

Some reaction to that huge announcement by Nigel Farage. Labour David Lammy says the Brexit Party leader is “bottling it” by standing down in Tory seats, but says it’s now more vital than ever for Remainers to “cooperate”.

Lib Dem leader Jo Swinson said: “The Conservative Party are the Brexit Party now.”

‘A real retreat’: Farage now backing Boris Johnson’s Brexit

More reaction to Nigel Farage’s bombshell announcement he won’t contest Tory seats. Many frightened-but-defiant Remainers are urging people to think tactically.

As other have pointed out, it amounts to a massive climb down since none of what Farage demanded of Boris Johnson last week has been granted – he has essentially ceded to the PM’s Brexit position.

SNP leader Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Any form of Brexit that is acceptable to Nigel Farage will be deeply damaging for Scotland,” and repeated Swinson’s point about the Tories and Brexit Party effectively becoming the same thing.

Labour’s Keir Starmer said: “A vote for Boris Johnson’s Conservatives is a vote for Nigel Farage’s politics. The stakes at this election could not be higher.”

Right-wing commentator Isabel Oakeshott is delighted that Farage has reached “the right decision for this country”.

Can opposition parties get their act together?

Many people are calling for the Labour, Lib Dems and others to form a pact to thwart the Tories, but no-one is particularly optimistic it will happen.

Tory chairman says he’s ‘not going to criticise Nigel Farage’

Tory chairman James Cleverly has denied there were all discussion between the government and Nigel Farage about his decision to pull hundreds of Brexit Party candidates.

“I’m not going to criticise Nigel Farage for doing what I think is the pragmatic thing to do,” Cleverly told BBC Politics Live. “I still think there is a risk whereby the Brexit Party standing in currently Labour or Lib Dem held seats might actually prevent a chance of a majority Conservative government.”

The right-wing broadcaster and publisher Iain Dale suggests the Tories will be delighted at the news.

“What could happen is a repeat of 1983 now, where you had a split opposition, and all sorts of Conservative MPs won marginal seats.”

“This is one of those big election moments,” says Dale.

Plaid says Brexit Party ‘don’t care about Wales’

Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price said Nigel Farage’s decision to stand down candidates showed the Brexit Party “don’t care about Wales”.

“As Wales’ leading Remain party, Plaid Cymru says: bring it on,” said Price. “That Nigel Farage is willing to endorse Boris Johnson is proof that they are planning to deliver a disastrous no deal.

“The fact that he assumes there will be no extension at the end of the next phase is evidence enough that a crash-out Brexit is an inevitability in the eyes of the Brexiteers.

“Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage don't care about Wales. They want to rip us out of the EU in a disastrous crash-out Brexit which would decimate our agriculture and manufacturing sectors and devastate our economy.”

Boris Johnson breaks his booze pledge

The prime minister broke his alcohol ban momentarily as he sipped a pint in a Wolverhampton pub.

He was applauded as he entered the Lych Gate Tavern to speak with veterans.

The PM held a baby before getting behind the bar to pull a pint of BFG (Bradley’s Finest Golden).

Asked if he would taste the beer, he replied: “I'm not allowed to drink until Brexit is done.”

He added “I’ll wet my whistle” before indulging in a sip.

Boris Johnson in Lych Gate Tavern (AFP) 

IDS says Farage could still thwart Tory majority

Former Tory party leader Iain Duncan Smith has welcome Nigel Farage’s announcement as a “good thing”.

But IDS is still not entirely happy. He told BBC Radio 4’s the World at One programme: “Well I would hope that this is the start of the Brexit Party recognising that even standing across the board in those sort of seats will also end up helping those Labour incumbents who are sitting there worrying at the moment about the fact that they have a very, very large Leave vote, and if that is split, then that means they might just sneak through.

“Which could be the difference between us winning a majority and only becoming the majority party and of course winning a majority is critical, if you want to deliver Brexit and Boris to stay.”

Ann Widdecombe, who is standing as the Brexit Party candidate for Plymouth Sutton and Devonport, said Farage had made an “enormous concession”.

Speaking to the same programme she said: “The Conservative Party were offered a pact, the Conservative Party refused a pact and they must take responsibility for whatever ensues.

“Nigel Farage has gone a very, very long way today in saying that we won’t be contesting any of the seats that they won last time.”

She added: “Our concern is not to get a Conservative majority, it’s to get a Brexit majority and that can be achieved just as easily by a Conservative standing down as a Brexit Party candidate standing down.”

Asked if her party could split the Brexit vote, she said: “We’re giving people a chance to vote for a real Brexit.”

Jeremy Corbyn calls Brexit party plan 'Trump alliance'

The Labour leader has responded to Nigel Farage's plans to stand down candidates in Conservative seats - terming the Brexit party plot the "Trump Alliance".

In a tweet disparaging his political rivals, Mr Corbyn referenced the comments of the US President on Mr Farage's LBC radio show last week.

At the time Mr Trump said Mr Johnson and the Brexit party leader would be an "unstoppable force" if they worked together - adding that Mr Corbyn would be "so bad for your country".

Tory plans to amend Human Rights Act and end “unfair trials” condemned

Conservative plans to water down the Human Rights Act – to prevent prosecutions of soldiers accused of murders in Northern Ireland – will make the UK a pariah, the party has been warned.

The backlash came after Boris Johnson pledged to end what the Tories call “unfair trials”, by banning inquests from returning verdicts of unlawful killings for deaths during the Troubles.

Amnesty said: “All victims have the right to an independent investigation – that is a cornerstone of the rule of law throughout the world.”

Dominic Greive told The Independent: “I am very sensitive to soldiers not being harassed about events that happened a long time ago, but the rule of law has to be upheld as well.”