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Three MEPs quit Brexit party to back Conservatives Three MEPs quit Brexit party to back Conservatives
(about 2 hours later)
Farage ‘disappointed’ as Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Lance Forman and Lucy Harris resign whipFarage ‘disappointed’ as Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Lance Forman and Lucy Harris resign whip
Three MEPs have quit the Brexit party to back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and the Conservatives instead.Three MEPs have quit the Brexit party to back Boris Johnson’s Brexit deal and the Conservatives instead.
Annunziata Rees-Mogg – sister of the Commons leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg – Lance Forman and Lucy Harris have all resigned the whip to back the prime minister’s push to “get Brexit done”.Annunziata Rees-Mogg – sister of the Commons leader, Jacob Rees-Mogg – Lance Forman and Lucy Harris have all resigned the whip to back the prime minister’s push to “get Brexit done”.
It follows the decision on Wednesday to sack the MEP John Longworth, the former director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, for “repeatedly undermining” the election strategy of the party leader, Nigel Farage.It follows the decision on Wednesday to sack the MEP John Longworth, the former director general of the British Chambers of Commerce, for “repeatedly undermining” the election strategy of the party leader, Nigel Farage.
The announcement will come as a blow to Farage, whose party is trailing at 3% in the polls despite winning the largest number of seats in the European elections.The announcement will come as a blow to Farage, whose party is trailing at 3% in the polls despite winning the largest number of seats in the European elections.
At a press conference in Westminster on Thursday morning, the four MEPs said they were resigning because it had become clear their party was splitting the Brexit vote in key marginals and, as such, putting the campaign to leave the EU at risk.At a press conference in Westminster on Thursday morning, the four MEPs said they were resigning because it had become clear their party was splitting the Brexit vote in key marginals and, as such, putting the campaign to leave the EU at risk.
Annunziata Rees-Mogg said: “We need a strong leave-supporting government to deliver the Brexit 17.4 million voted for. The Conservatives are the only option for Brexit supporters and democrats alike.”Annunziata Rees-Mogg said: “We need a strong leave-supporting government to deliver the Brexit 17.4 million voted for. The Conservatives are the only option for Brexit supporters and democrats alike.”
Unhappiness among the MEPs started to emerge on Wednesday when Longworth, the chair of the Leave Means Leave campaign group, lost the whip for “disloyalty” to the party, although he said he made the decision to stand down himself.Unhappiness among the MEPs started to emerge on Wednesday when Longworth, the chair of the Leave Means Leave campaign group, lost the whip for “disloyalty” to the party, although he said he made the decision to stand down himself.
He was at odds with the party over election strategy, suggesting it should go after 20-30 carefully selected seats and not stand in 274 Labour ones.He was at odds with the party over election strategy, suggesting it should go after 20-30 carefully selected seats and not stand in 274 Labour ones.
Earlier in the campaign Farage decided to withdraw from 317 Tory-held seats to avoid splitting the vote. Earlier in the campaign Farage decided to withdraw from 317 Tory-held seats to avoid splitting the vote. He said he had not been given credit by the four MEPs for this decision to try to help the Tories.
He said he had not been given credit by the four MEPs for this decision to try to help the Tories.
Farage said: “Whilst we are disappointed that four of our MEPs don’t seem to understand that we both saved the Conservative party from large-scale losses to the Liberal Democrats in the south and south-west of England, but we are also hammering the Labour leave vote in its traditional heartlands, making it much easier for the Conservatives to win many of those seats.Farage said: “Whilst we are disappointed that four of our MEPs don’t seem to understand that we both saved the Conservative party from large-scale losses to the Liberal Democrats in the south and south-west of England, but we are also hammering the Labour leave vote in its traditional heartlands, making it much easier for the Conservatives to win many of those seats.
“The only vote on the leave side that is currently being split is in areas such as Barnsley, the south Wales valleys, Doncaster and Hartlepool where there is a risk that the Tories will split our vote.”A spokesman for the Brexit party said three of the MEPs already had strong links to the Tories, while Longworth had suddenly come round to Johnson’s Brexit plans despite being a long-time advocate of leaving the EU on World Trade Organization terms. He suggested the Tories might reward Longworth at a later date for his backing. The spokesman said: “We also note that one of the MEPs is the sister of a cabinet minister, another has a partner who works in the office of the same cabinet minister and yet another is a personal friend of both Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. “The only vote on the leave side that is currently being split is in areas such as Barnsley, the south Wales valleys, Doncaster and Hartlepool where there is a risk that the Tories will split our vote.”A spokesman for the Brexit party said three of the MEPs already had strong links to the Tories, while Longworth had suddenly come round to Johnson’s Brexit plans despite being a long-time advocate of leaving the EU on World Trade Organization (WTO) terms. He suggested the Tories might reward Longworth at a later date for his backing. The spokesman said: “We also note that one of the MEPs is the sister of a cabinet minister, another has a partner who works in the office of the same cabinet minister and yet another is a personal friend of both Boris Johnson and Michael Gove.
“In the case of John Longworth, who was for years the firmest advocate of WTO withdrawal that we have ever met, he underwent a metamorphosis into being a supporter of the new EU treaty following two days of meetings in London. We hope that Mr Longworth is well rewarded for his actions.”“In the case of John Longworth, who was for years the firmest advocate of WTO withdrawal that we have ever met, he underwent a metamorphosis into being a supporter of the new EU treaty following two days of meetings in London. We hope that Mr Longworth is well rewarded for his actions.”
A Brexit party spokesman turned up to a press conference organised by the four MEPs and spoke to journalists outside. He said the Conservatives had been seeking to bribe Brexit party candidates to stand down for weeks and suggested that was what had happened in the case of the four MEPs.A Brexit party spokesman turned up to a press conference organised by the four MEPs and spoke to journalists outside. He said the Conservatives had been seeking to bribe Brexit party candidates to stand down for weeks and suggested that was what had happened in the case of the four MEPs.
The MEPs denied the suggestion, saying they had not had contact with the Conservative party. “The first [the Conservatives] heard about it, was when [the media] heard about it,” said Forman.The MEPs denied the suggestion, saying they had not had contact with the Conservative party. “The first [the Conservatives] heard about it, was when [the media] heard about it,” said Forman.
Rees-Mogg said she found it “disturbingly old-fashioned” that people were suggesting her brother was able to dictate her political views. “He doesn’t,” she said. “We have completely independent views of each other. I am only concerned about Brexit.”Rees-Mogg said she found it “disturbingly old-fashioned” that people were suggesting her brother was able to dictate her political views. “He doesn’t,” she said. “We have completely independent views of each other. I am only concerned about Brexit.”
She later said: “It is clear to me that the Brexit party is splitting the vote of leavers in marginal and not-so marginal constituencies. If you look at the likes of Lincoln, of Gedling, of Sedgefield, of Hartlepool, of High Peak, Weaver Vale, Gower, Bolton East, the list goes on and on. She later said: “It is clear to me that the Brexit party is splitting the vote of leavers in marginal and not-so-marginal constituencies. If you look at the likes of Lincoln, of Gedling, of Sedgefield, of Hartlepool, of High Peak, Weaver Vale, Gower, Bolton East, the list goes on and on.
“In Scotland, Wales and England the Brexit party are permitting votes to go away from the Conservatives, providing us with a remain coalition that will do anything not to honour the Brexit referendum.”“In Scotland, Wales and England the Brexit party are permitting votes to go away from the Conservatives, providing us with a remain coalition that will do anything not to honour the Brexit referendum.”