Brexit vote split after Tories reject alliance with Farage

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has given up hope of a pact with the Tories for the December 12 British election.

Lindsay Hoyle addresses the British parliament after being elected new House of Commons Speaker. Picture: AP

Boris Johnson has tried to shut down concerns that Britain’s transition period after Brexit could be ­extended beyond next year as Nigel Farage accused the Tories of “conceited arrogance”.

Mr Farage, the Brexit Party leader, said he would push ahead with his plan to field more than 600 candidates in the December 12 election as he had “given up” hope of a pact with the Tories.

He criticised Commons leader Jacob Rees-Mogg for suggesting that the Brexit Party should stand aside to ensure a Tory majority and push the Prime Minister’s deal through the Commons. Accused of splitting the Leave vote, he dismissed Tory Brexiteers as “good little boys” for falling into line ­behind Mr Johnson.

Mr Johnson has rejected the Brexit Party’s offer to form an ­alliance with the Tories if the Prime Minister is willing to “junk” his deal with Brussels in favour of a “clean Brexit”.

At his party’s campaign launch, attended by more than 150 candidates, Mr Farage said: “It would appear that far from even attempting to embrace this offer, which is sincere and genuine, the Conservative Party want to shut down the argument.”

He said later: “I have to take the attitude that I’ve tried like crazy over week after week to put ­together a Leave alliance that will win a huge majority; all I get is abuse back. So in the end you begin to think, ‘What’s the point?’ ”

Downing Street has ruled out extending the transition period after Brexit beyond December next year. If the government’s deal passed, Britain would leave the EU but continue to be bound by present rules during an implementation phase.

The government hopes to negotiate a free-trade agreement in this time but the difficulties of doing this within a year could mean Britain faces a no-deal ­departure at the end of next year.

Mr Johnson caused concern among Eurosceptic Tory MPs over the weekend after declining to rule out an extension to allow an agreement with the EU about the future relationship.

But his spokesman said on Monday: “The government will not be ­extending the transition ­period. The Prime Minister ­believes that we will have a good trade deal agreed with the EU by December 2020. The Brexit process has been going on for long enough. Both parties are committed to negotiating at speed.”

Mr Farage rejected suggestions that his party could pull out of the election as its poll numbers slid.

“If that’s what comes to pass you’ve then got four real choices,” he said.

“Revoke; second referendum; ­effectively Remainer’s Brexit; or clean-break Brexit. And that is four very clear choices and the British public can make their minds up.”

Mr Farage said his campaign would “hurt the Labour Party in the most extraordinary way” by taking voters who felt let down by Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn. “They are my No 1 target,” he said. “I got those votes in 2015, I’ll do it again.”

Meanwhile, Labour politician Sir Lindsay Hoyle was elected Speaker of the House of Commons, replacing John Bercow.

Sir Lindsay — who was named after former Australian cricket skipper Lindsay Hassett — has promised to tame the bear pit of parliament and insist on protocol and procedure.

After the tumultuous and controversial tenure of Mr Bercow, Sir Lindsay was a safe choice and he won the position after four rounds of voting by MPs, who decided to go for the candidate they knew best. Sir Lindsay has been the chair of the Ways and Means Committee and deputy Speaker for nine years.

The Times

Additional reporting: Jacquelin Magnay