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General election 2019: Farage says Brexit Party candidates offered jobs to quit | General election 2019: Farage says Brexit Party candidates offered jobs to quit |
(about 2 hours later) | |
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has claimed the Conservatives offered his candidates jobs and peerages to try to get them to stand down. | Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has claimed the Conservatives offered his candidates jobs and peerages to try to get them to stand down. |
Mr Farage also said his candidates received "thousands of phone calls and emails" trying to get them to withdraw ahead of next month's election. | Mr Farage also said his candidates received "thousands of phone calls and emails" trying to get them to withdraw ahead of next month's election. |
He made the claims shortly after candidate nominations closed before the 12 December poll. | He made the claims shortly after candidate nominations closed before the 12 December poll. |
The Tories denied offering Brexit Party candidates jobs or peerages. | The Tories denied offering Brexit Party candidates jobs or peerages. |
Mr Farage has confirmed his candidates will not contest seats won by the Tories at the 2017 general election, but will stand candidates against the party elsewhere. | Mr Farage has confirmed his candidates will not contest seats won by the Tories at the 2017 general election, but will stand candidates against the party elsewhere. |
Conservative figures have urged his party not to run in Labour-held marginal constituencies, fearing his candidates could divide the Brexit-backing vote. | Conservative figures have urged his party not to run in Labour-held marginal constituencies, fearing his candidates could divide the Brexit-backing vote. |
In a video posted on Twitter, Mr Farage said that he, along with eight "senior figures" in his party, had been offered peerages to stand down. | In a video posted on Twitter, Mr Farage said that he, along with eight "senior figures" in his party, had been offered peerages to stand down. |
He said the offer had been made by people "deep inside Number 10 Downing Street" - although he did not think Prime Minister Boris Johnson was involved. | He said the offer had been made by people "deep inside Number 10 Downing Street" - although he did not think Prime Minister Boris Johnson was involved. |
"As you can imagine, I said I do not want, and I will never have, anything to do with this kind of behaviour," he said. | "As you can imagine, I said I do not want, and I will never have, anything to do with this kind of behaviour," he said. |
A Tory source has told the BBC the Brexit Party candidate in Peterborough was offered an unpaid role in education in the hope it would convince him to stand aside. | |
Mike Greene is standing for the party in the Cambridgeshire constituency, which Labour held narrowly at a by-election in June. | |
It is understood friends of Mr Greene had indicated that the role could be enough of an inducement. | |
Mr Greene's team confirmed the offer of a role had been made to him, but said their candidate would definitely be running. | |
'Calls, emails and threats' | |
Mr Farage also later said his candidates had been "subjected to thousands of phone calls, and emails and threats all over the country" to get them to stand aside. | |
He said candidates had been offered jobs "in the negotiating team, jobs in government departments and hints at peerages too". | He said candidates had been offered jobs "in the negotiating team, jobs in government departments and hints at peerages too". |
A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said: "We don't do electoral pacts - our pact is with the British people." | A spokesperson for the Conservative Party said: "We don't do electoral pacts - our pact is with the British people." |
"The only way to get Brexit done and unleash Britain's potential is to vote for your local Conservative candidate". | "The only way to get Brexit done and unleash Britain's potential is to vote for your local Conservative candidate". |
Speaking on BBC Question Time, Conservative party chairman James Cleverly said allegations that his party has offered peerages were "completely unfounded". | |
"There are a number of people who went to the Brexit Party, who had been up until very, very recently Conservatives," he said. | |
"I have no doubt that Conservatives will have spoken to people they know locally and said 'if you genuinely want to deliver Brexit, the only way of doing that is with a Conservative majority government'. | |
"I have no doubt conversations like that have been happening up and down the country." | |
But he added: "I'm telling you that I have no truck with a pact or agreements. Nigel Farage has asked for one for months. We said no." | |
Labour party chairman Ian Lavery said: "It looks like Boris Johnson is trying to stitch-up this election by offering jobs to Brexit party candidates to get them to stand down. | Labour party chairman Ian Lavery said: "It looks like Boris Johnson is trying to stitch-up this election by offering jobs to Brexit party candidates to get them to stand down. |
"This gives a whiff of the corrupt way the establishment works. We can't allow the Tories to run the country a minute longer. It's time for real change." | "This gives a whiff of the corrupt way the establishment works. We can't allow the Tories to run the country a minute longer. It's time for real change." |
Liberal Democrat deputy leader Ed Davey said the Conservative Party had seen a "hard-right takeover" that "has now been endorsed by both Trump and Farage". | |
"As Nigel Farage has admitted, the Liberal Democrats are the only party at this election that can take seats from the Conservatives, stop Brexit and build a brighter future," he added. |
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