Tories threaten deselections amid fears of secret Brexit Party deals
Boris Johnson appears to be losing his grip on party discipline as his MPs meet with Nigel Farage for potential electoral pacts. Photograph: Aaron Chown/PA. - Credit: PA Wire/PA Images
Boris Johnson is reportedly losing his grip on party discipline after it emerged that Nigel Farage is in talks with Brexiteer Tories to offer secret electoral pacts.
The pacts would involved Farage standing down his candidates in exchange for a successful Tory MP to back a no-deal Brexit rather than Johnson's deal.
The moves threaten to undermine the Conservatives' election promises, as Johnson has pledged not to work with the Brexit Party in any formal alliance, and to follow through on the Brexit deal he struck with the EU.
Arch-Brexiteer head of the ERG Steve Baker has told local Conservative party associations that any Tory engaging in Brexit Party talks should be barred from standing for election.
Baker told The Sun: "Any Conservative candidate who pledges to vote against Boris's deal contrary to the manifesto should not be nominated.
You may also want to watch:
"It is too late for self-indulgence and lack of discipline. Only by backing Boris and this deal can we move the country forward."
Despite this, an anonymous "friend of Nigel Farage" told the Telegraph that the Brexit Party leader was "having those conversations" about electoral pacts.
Most Read
- 1 Leave EU website suspended after EU registry blocks move to Ireland
- 2 The greatest failure of government in our lifetime
- 3 Comedian wins praise after shaming No 10 during Dancing on Ice appearance
- 4 Television drama to focus on Boris Johnson's first year in Downing Street
- 5 Boris Johnson claims Labour supporters using Universal Credit vote to incite hatred
- 6 The bigot we should have called out on day one
- 7 The polling that signals the plight of the Union
- 8 Progressive alliance could see Labour win 351 seats at next election, new analysis reveals
- 9 Dominic Raab 'not convinced' collapse of fishing businesses would be result of Brexit deal
- 10 Michael Gove among 14 Tory MPs revealed to have joined banned Parler app
Become a Supporter
The New European is proud of its journalism and we hope you are proud of it too. We believe our voice is important - both in representing the pro-EU perspective and also to help rebalance the right wing extremes of much of the UK national press. If you value what we are doing, you can help us by making a contribution to the cost of our journalism.
