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General election: Farage's plan to stand aside in Tory seats amounts to 'Trump alliance', says Corbyn - live news General election: Farage's plan to stand aside in Tory seats amounts to 'Trump alliance', says Corbyn - live news
(32 minutes later)
Farage says he was worried Brexit party could let the Lib Dems take seats from Tories. Follow all the developments nowFarage says he was worried Brexit party could let the Lib Dems take seats from Tories. Follow all the developments now
Boris Johnson claimed that he has given up alcohol “until Brexit is done” when he posed for a photograph at a pub in a Wolverhampton. He added “I’ll wet my whistle” before taking a sip from a pint. The BBC has apologised for mistakenly showing old footage of Boris Johnson laying a wreath on BBC Breakfast this morning, instead of footage from yesterday, when Johnson put his wreath down the wrong way round. The error has prompted claims on social media that this was evidence of pro-Tory bias. But the truth was more straightforward, according to Richard Frediani, executive editor of BBC Breakfast.
Nigel Farage has claimed he was offered a peerage at the end of last week, the Mirror’s Ben Glaze reports. Farage told the Mirror that he turned down the offer (he did not say who made it) and that he would not accept a knighthood or a peerage.
Here is more from the politics academic Matthew Goodwin on the impact of the Brexit party standing aside in Tory-held seats.
Nigel Farage’s decision to stand down Brexit party candidates in Tory seats is not as clear cut in Scotland as it may seem, since it could damage Tory campaigns to unseat the Scottish National party in at least one key target seat.
A Brexit party spokesman has confirmed they will still stand candidates in SNP seats, and that could prove significant in Perth and North Perthshire, the Scottish Tories’ top target seat. The Tories are fighting on two fronts: pledging to “get Brexit done” but also leveraging opposition to a second independence referendum.
The SNP’s Pete Wishart holds a wafer-thin, 21-vote (0.04%) majority over the Tories in Perth and North Perthshire. In the 2015 general election an arch-Brexiter standing for Ukip, John Miles, took 1,110 votes there.
Wishart’s chances of holding the seat were boosted when the pro-independence Scottish Green party decided at the weekend not to stand a candidate against him, decreasing direct competition for SNP votes. (See 1.57pm.)
There is strong pro-Brexit sentiment in the area. The Brexit party came third in the council area of Perth & Kinross in the 2019 European parliament elections, with 8,088 votes, and Ukip took another 770. Those pro-Brexit votes accounted for 17.5% of all those cast in the area.
The Brexit party’s candidate for Perth and North Perthshire, Stuart Powell, is campaigning with the pledge: “We are real people doing ordinary jobs and intend to serve rather than rule”.
While he was campaigning this morning, Boris Johnson was also asked if immigration would increase or decrease under Tory policies. He refused to say, replying:
Johnson said he was “in favour of immigration as a whole” as it allows “people of talent” to come to the UK. When pressed on whether his policies would result in a decrease in immigration numbers, Johnson replied:
On Saturday the Home Office minister Victoria Atkins was also unable to answer this question.
Boris Johnson repeated his claim that he had given up alcohol “until Brexit is done” when he posed for a photograph at a pub in a Wolverhampton. He then added: “I’ll wet my whistle”, before taking a sip from a pint.
The SNP, like the Lib Dems, are also saying the Conservative party has now become the Brexit party. (See 3.11pm.) These are from Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister.The SNP, like the Lib Dems, are also saying the Conservative party has now become the Brexit party. (See 3.11pm.) These are from Nicola Sturgeon, Scotland’s first minister.
The Plaid Cymru leader Adam Price claims Nigel Farage’s decision to stand down Brexit party candidates in Tory-held seats implies the government is planning a no-deal Brexit. In a statement he said: The Plaid Cymru leader, Adam Price, claims Nigel Farage’s decision to stand down Brexit party candidates in Tory-won seats implies the government is planning a no-deal Brexit. In a statement, he said:
From my colleague Martin BelamFrom my colleague Martin Belam
The Tories have got a candidate in Hartlepool, my colleague Josh Halliday reports, correcting an earlier claim that didn’t have one. (See 2.34pm.) The Tories have got a candidate in Hartlepool, my colleague Josh Halliday reports, correcting an earlier claim they didn’t have one. (See 2.34pm.)
Ireland has expressed concern over a Conservative party pledge to change the law to protect former soldiers in Northern Ireland from possible prosecution over deaths during the Troubles.Ireland has expressed concern over a Conservative party pledge to change the law to protect former soldiers in Northern Ireland from possible prosecution over deaths during the Troubles.
The Tories have promised to end what they describe as “unfair trials” of soldiers accused of unlawful killings in Northern Ireland by amending the Human Rights Act to exclude any case dating from before the act came into force in 2000. The Tories have promised to end what they describe as “unfair trials” of soldiers accused of unlawful killings in Northern Ireland by amending the Human Rights Act to exclude any cases dating from before the act came into force in 2000.
Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney, posted a tweet this morning saying this was “very concerning”.Ireland’s deputy prime minister, Simon Coveney, posted a tweet this morning saying this was “very concerning”.
Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader and prominent Brexiter, told the BBC’s World at One that Nigel Farage’s announcement was a “good thing”. He said:Iain Duncan Smith, the former Conservative leader and prominent Brexiter, told the BBC’s World at One that Nigel Farage’s announcement was a “good thing”. He said:
Jeremy Corbyn has described the Brexit party’s decision to stand down in Tory seats as a “Trump alliance”. He points out that this is exactly the sort of Boris Johnson/Nigel Farage pact that Donald Trump seemed to be proposing in his recent LBC interview with Farage.Jeremy Corbyn has described the Brexit party’s decision to stand down in Tory seats as a “Trump alliance”. He points out that this is exactly the sort of Boris Johnson/Nigel Farage pact that Donald Trump seemed to be proposing in his recent LBC interview with Farage.
Last night Jeremy Corbyn posted this on Twitter in response to the news that Evo Morales has announced he will resign as president of Bolivia after the military called for him to step down and the police withdrew their support following weeks of unrest over disputed election results.Last night Jeremy Corbyn posted this on Twitter in response to the news that Evo Morales has announced he will resign as president of Bolivia after the military called for him to step down and the police withdrew their support following weeks of unrest over disputed election results.
Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, has accused Corbyn of putting “Marxist solidarity” ahead of his commitment to democracy.Dominic Raab, the foreign secretary, has accused Corbyn of putting “Marxist solidarity” ahead of his commitment to democracy.
Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, has said that Nigel Farage’s decision not to stand Brexit party candidates in Tory seats means the Conservatives are now aligned with the Brexit party.Jo Swinson, the Lib Dem leader, has said that Nigel Farage’s decision not to stand Brexit party candidates in Tory seats means the Conservatives are now aligned with the Brexit party.
(In truth, the Lib Dems have been making this sort of claim for some time.)(In truth, the Lib Dems have been making this sort of claim for some time.)
And the Lib Dem candidate Sam Gyimah has put it like this on Twitter.And the Lib Dem candidate Sam Gyimah has put it like this on Twitter.
This is a version of the Alex Salmond/Ed Miliband poster that the Conservatives used in the 2015 election campaign. It is a punchy image, although it misses the point Farage is the person today who has capitulated to Boris Johnson.This is a version of the Alex Salmond/Ed Miliband poster that the Conservatives used in the 2015 election campaign. It is a punchy image, although it misses the point Farage is the person today who has capitulated to Boris Johnson.