Brexit Party 'rejects electoral pact offer' from UK PM Johnson
Updated 11:55, 14-Nov-2019
CGTN

Britain's ruling Conservative Party has made an offer of an electoral pact to Nigel Farage, which has been turned down by the Brexit Party leader, The Daily Telegraph newspaper reported on Thursday.

The Conservative Party's offer would have meant the Brexit Party targeting only 40 key seats in constituencies held by Britain's opposition Labour Party, as the Conservatives pledged to stand only "paper" candidates in those constituencies, according to the report.

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech during an election campaign visit to the London Electric Vehicle Company in Coventry, UK, November 13, 2019. /VCG Photo

Britain's Prime Minister Boris Johnson delivers a speech during an election campaign visit to the London Electric Vehicle Company in Coventry, UK, November 13, 2019. /VCG Photo

Farage turned down the deal because he wanted the Conservative Party to withdraw their candidates altogether from those seats, the newspaper reported.

The Brexit Party leader has said he will not put candidates up in Conservative-held seats, but will still stand candidates in Labour-held seats.

Conservatives up in latest poll

Johnson's Conservatives have a healthy 10-point lead ahead of the December 12 election, a new poll by Savanta ComRes indicates, extending their advantage over Labour after the Brexit Party stood down candidates.

The poll showed the Conservative Party at 40 percent, up three points from last week, ahead of Labour on 30 percent, up one point. It was conducted after Farage said his party would not stand in Conservative-held seats.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage attends an election campaign event in Sedgefield, UK, November 11, 2019. /VCG Photo

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage attends an election campaign event in Sedgefield, UK, November 11, 2019. /VCG Photo

"The Brexit Party's decision not to stand in Conservative seats is likely to have an obvious positive impact on the overall Conservative vote share," said Chris Hopkins, Head of Politics at ComRes. "But it's those Labour-held seats that the Conservatives need to win for a majority, and the Brexit Party could still scupper those best-laid plans."

The Liberal Democrats were on 16 percent in the poll and the Brexit Party on seven percent. Voting analysis website Electoral Calculus said the vote shares imply a Conservative majority of 110 seats.

Tusk's 'second-rate Britain' warning

Britain will lose influence in international affairs and become a "second-rate player" after it leaves the European Union, European Council President Donald Tusk warned on Wednesday.

Backers of Britain's 2016 vote to exit the EU say that the country — the world's fifth largest economy — will achieve a new global status unshackled from the bloc's rules and instead brought closer to the United States.

"I have heard repeatedly from Brexiteers that they wanted to leave the European Union to make the United Kingdom global again, believing that only alone, it can truly be great," Tusk said in a speech at the College of Europe in the Belgian city of Bruges.

"But the reality is exactly the opposite. Only as part of a united Europe can the UK play a global role, only together can we confront, without any complexes, the greatest powers of this world. And the world knows it," said Tusk, who has chaired EU summits for the past five years.

Source(s): Reuters