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| Conservative Conference: You'd be 'utterly nuts' to join Ukip defectors, Boris Johnson warns Tories | Conservative Conference: You'd be 'utterly nuts' to join Ukip defectors, Boris Johnson warns Tories |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| Any other Conservative MPs considering defecting to Ukip would be “utterly nuts” to join Nigel Farage’s party, Boris Johnson warned today. | Any other Conservative MPs considering defecting to Ukip would be “utterly nuts” to join Nigel Farage’s party, Boris Johnson warned today. |
| The Mayor of London’s appeal for loyalty came 48 hours after Mark Reckless became the second Tory MP to jump ship to join Ukip. The Conservative conference has been awash with rumours that other parliamentarians are set to switch sides this week. | The Mayor of London’s appeal for loyalty came 48 hours after Mark Reckless became the second Tory MP to jump ship to join Ukip. The Conservative conference has been awash with rumours that other parliamentarians are set to switch sides this week. |
| Mr Johnson said he “can’t quite believe it is really true” there is a “small queue of Tory MPs and MEPs who are on the verge of Recklessly joining another party”. | Mr Johnson said he “can’t quite believe it is really true” there is a “small queue of Tory MPs and MEPs who are on the verge of Recklessly joining another party”. |
| But he told any “would-be jumpers” that “they (if they indeed exist) must be nuts” to leave the party. | But he told any “would-be jumpers” that “they (if they indeed exist) must be nuts” to leave the party. |
| “There are only two people who are in a position to take the keys to Downing Street next May, and they are David Cameron or Ed Miliband. I know that you disagree vehemently with most of what Ed Miliband says and does – and so I must urge you not to allow the disaster of a Miliband premiership,” he wrote in his Daily Telegraph column. | “There are only two people who are in a position to take the keys to Downing Street next May, and they are David Cameron or Ed Miliband. I know that you disagree vehemently with most of what Ed Miliband says and does – and so I must urge you not to allow the disaster of a Miliband premiership,” he wrote in his Daily Telegraph column. |
| “If you really want to let this country sleepwalk into a Labour government, then that is your prerogative. You can close your eyes and let it happen. You kip if you want to; the rest of us are going to fight and win.” | “If you really want to let this country sleepwalk into a Labour government, then that is your prerogative. You can close your eyes and let it happen. You kip if you want to; the rest of us are going to fight and win.” |
| Mr Johnson, who has been adopted as the party’s election in the safe Conservative seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, will speak tonight at the Tory conference. He will address the party faithful on “how we win in 2015” in what he has styled a “rally for victory”. | Mr Johnson, who has been adopted as the party’s election in the safe Conservative seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip, will speak tonight at the Tory conference. He will address the party faithful on “how we win in 2015” in what he has styled a “rally for victory”. |
| He claimed today that the “auguries for victory have never been better”. He argued: “Labour are puttering at 35 per cent in the polls; they should be miles ahead to have any chance of winning”. | He claimed today that the “auguries for victory have never been better”. He argued: “Labour are puttering at 35 per cent in the polls; they should be miles ahead to have any chance of winning”. |
| He said he was much further behind Labour a year ahead of the London Mayoralty in 2007 – and yet went on to win the battle for City Hall. | He said he was much further behind Labour a year ahead of the London Mayoralty in 2007 – and yet went on to win the battle for City Hall. |