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General election: Farage's plan to stand aside in Tory seats amounts to 'Trump alliance', says Corbyn - as it happened | |
(32 minutes later) | |
Farage says he was worried Brexit party could let the Lib Dems take seats from Tories. Follow all the developments now | Farage says he was worried Brexit party could let the Lib Dems take seats from Tories. Follow all the developments now |
That’s all from us this evening. Thanks for reading and commenting. Here’s a rundown of the main events to have occurred since our last summary: | |
The prime minister has decided to hold a Cobra meeting to discuss the flooding that his large parts of the Midlands and northern England. That came after Jeremy Corbyn urged him to take such action, suggesting the crisis would have been taken more seriously had it occurred in the south east. | |
A former ally of Boris Johnson launched a stinging attack on the prime minister and the opposition leader. Nick Boles said the UK faced a “appalling choice” between the leaders of the two main parties at next month’s election. | |
For a comprehensive summary of the day’s earlier news. See this excellent post from my colleague, Andrew Sparrow. | |
And, if you’d like to read yet more, my colleagues Kate Proctor, Rowena Mason and Heather Stewart have our main story: | |
The Lib Dems have “immediately opened disciplinary investigations” into tweets that appear to have been posted by Kevin McNamara, the party’s candidate for Thurrock. | The Lib Dems have “immediately opened disciplinary investigations” into tweets that appear to have been posted by Kevin McNamara, the party’s candidate for Thurrock. |
A serious of screenshots purporting to show tweets from his account appeared on social media this evening. The account has now been locked and tweets are no longer visible to people not following it. | A serious of screenshots purporting to show tweets from his account appeared on social media this evening. The account has now been locked and tweets are no longer visible to people not following it. |
Nigel Farage is facing calls from Brexit supporters to stand down further candidates to help Boris Johnson after he made a dramatic public U-turn by agreeing to withdraw his party from all Conservative-held seats, my colleagues Kate Proctor, Rowena Mason and Heather Stewart write. | Nigel Farage is facing calls from Brexit supporters to stand down further candidates to help Boris Johnson after he made a dramatic public U-turn by agreeing to withdraw his party from all Conservative-held seats, my colleagues Kate Proctor, Rowena Mason and Heather Stewart write. |
The Brexit party leader claimed he had changed his mind about fielding candidates in 317 seats held by the Tories after Johnson released a video pledging to take Britain out of the EU by 2020 and to pursue a Canada-style trade deal. | The Brexit party leader claimed he had changed his mind about fielding candidates in 317 seats held by the Tories after Johnson released a video pledging to take Britain out of the EU by 2020 and to pursue a Canada-style trade deal. |
The abrupt nature of Farage’s reversal prompted claims from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP that he and Johnson had struck a secret pact in favour of a hard Brexit, which both sides denied. Farage admitted he had been offered a peerage by the Tories as recently as last Friday but claimed he had turned this down. | The abrupt nature of Farage’s reversal prompted claims from Labour, the Liberal Democrats and the SNP that he and Johnson had struck a secret pact in favour of a hard Brexit, which both sides denied. Farage admitted he had been offered a peerage by the Tories as recently as last Friday but claimed he had turned this down. |
Senior Tories are now pressing behind the scenes for Farage to make further concessions and stand back in Labour-held target seats, after Farage conceded that the presence of his party in those contests could lead to a hung parliament and a second referendum. | Senior Tories are now pressing behind the scenes for Farage to make further concessions and stand back in Labour-held target seats, after Farage conceded that the presence of his party in those contests could lead to a hung parliament and a second referendum. |
Farage claimed he now had more “optimism” about Johnson’s Brexit deal after the prime minister’s clarifications, having previously condemned it as a “sellout” and not a real Brexit. | Farage claimed he now had more “optimism” about Johnson’s Brexit deal after the prime minister’s clarifications, having previously condemned it as a “sellout” and not a real Brexit. |
A former aide to Boris Johnson is facing calls to stand down as an election candidate after Labour accused him of “disgusting racism” over some of his writings that blame immigrants for bringing germs and HIV to the UK and accuse Muslims of having divided loyalties. | A former aide to Boris Johnson is facing calls to stand down as an election candidate after Labour accused him of “disgusting racism” over some of his writings that blame immigrants for bringing germs and HIV to the UK and accuse Muslims of having divided loyalties. |
Labour called on the prime minister to personally intervene to stop Anthony Browne from contesting the seat of South Cambridgeshire, saying his writings from 2002 and 2003 were “shocking” and “despicable”. In an article for the Spectator, Browne wrote: | Labour called on the prime minister to personally intervene to stop Anthony Browne from contesting the seat of South Cambridgeshire, saying his writings from 2002 and 2003 were “shocking” and “despicable”. In an article for the Spectator, Browne wrote: |
After the Cobra meeting was announced, a Labour spokesman said | After the Cobra meeting was announced, a Labour spokesman said |
The prime minister will chair a Cobra meeting on Tuesday to discuss the government’s response to recent flooding, Downing Street has said. | The prime minister will chair a Cobra meeting on Tuesday to discuss the government’s response to recent flooding, Downing Street has said. |
The emergency meeting will be held five days after the flooding hit large parts of northern England and the Midlands. | The emergency meeting will be held five days after the flooding hit large parts of northern England and the Midlands. |
We reported earlier that the Labour leader was urging him to take such action and suggested that, had the flooding occurred in south-eastern England, it’s likely it would have been declared a national emergency (see 6.37pm). | We reported earlier that the Labour leader was urging him to take such action and suggested that, had the flooding occurred in south-eastern England, it’s likely it would have been declared a national emergency (see 6.37pm). |
The former Conservative MP, Nick Boles, has torn into both his own ex-colleagues and the Labour leadership this evening. Formerly a close ally of Boris Johnson, Boles reserves some of his harshest criticism for the prime minister. | The former Conservative MP, Nick Boles, has torn into both his own ex-colleagues and the Labour leadership this evening. Formerly a close ally of Boris Johnson, Boles reserves some of his harshest criticism for the prime minister. |
In an article for the Evening Standard, he writes: | In an article for the Evening Standard, he writes: |
Boles adds that he would be voting Lib Dem at the upcoming election. | Boles adds that he would be voting Lib Dem at the upcoming election. |
Each weekday evening for the duration of the campaign, my colleague Andrew Sparrow will be putting together an election briefing. You can read today’s here: | Each weekday evening for the duration of the campaign, my colleague Andrew Sparrow will be putting together an election briefing. You can read today’s here: |
Nigel Farage’s unilateral announcement that he will engage in a one-way electoral pact with the Conservatives will be an undoubted relief to Boris Johnson, but the benefit may be more limited than it first appears. | Nigel Farage’s unilateral announcement that he will engage in a one-way electoral pact with the Conservatives will be an undoubted relief to Boris Johnson, but the benefit may be more limited than it first appears. |
Headline polling data already indicated that the Brexit party was being successfully squeezed by the Tories’ pro-Brexit strategy. Its polling average had slumped from 12% in the third week of October to its current 9%. | Headline polling data already indicated that the Brexit party was being successfully squeezed by the Tories’ pro-Brexit strategy. Its polling average had slumped from 12% in the third week of October to its current 9%. |
A former Brexit party candidate is defying Nigel Farage’s decision to step aside in Tory-held seats and will stand as an independent instead. Neil Greaves, from the Harlow constituency in Essex, criticised Farage’s approach: | A former Brexit party candidate is defying Nigel Farage’s decision to step aside in Tory-held seats and will stand as an independent instead. Neil Greaves, from the Harlow constituency in Essex, criticised Farage’s approach: |
The constituency voted 68% to leave in the EU referendum but Robert Halfon, the Conservative candidate who won the seat with a majority of more than 7,000 in 2017, backed remain in the referendum. That led Greaves to claim that his pulling out of the race would mean there “won’t be a leave option for Harlow”. | The constituency voted 68% to leave in the EU referendum but Robert Halfon, the Conservative candidate who won the seat with a majority of more than 7,000 in 2017, backed remain in the referendum. That led Greaves to claim that his pulling out of the race would mean there “won’t be a leave option for Harlow”. |
His fellow former Brexit party candidate, Ruth Jolley, said she “respected” Farage’s decision but was “disappointed” the people of her South West Norfolk constituency would not be able to vote for a Brexit party candidate. | His fellow former Brexit party candidate, Ruth Jolley, said she “respected” Farage’s decision but was “disappointed” the people of her South West Norfolk constituency would not be able to vote for a Brexit party candidate. |
The former civil servant, who now runs a pet care business, said she would continue to campaign for Brexit party candidates elsewhere but will not vote in the election. | The former civil servant, who now runs a pet care business, said she would continue to campaign for Brexit party candidates elsewhere but will not vote in the election. |