[LeatherTrumpet]

Thousands of Conservative members are likely to defect to a new Brexit party which was officially recognised on Friday
by the electoral regulator, its backers claim.

The Electoral Commission on Friday formally recognised the Brexit Party as an official organisation which will allow
it to field candidates at elections.

Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader who is supporting the party, said "the engine is running" and he stood "ready for
battle" to fight the Tories and Labour if European Parliament elections are held on May 23.

Political space for a new anti-EU party has been created by the lurch to the right by the UK Independence Party, which
has been adopting more strident anti-Muslim policies.

The timing of the official recognition will be a wake-up call to Theresa May, the Prime Minister, of the electoral risk
to the Tory party of agreeing a softer Brexit deal over the next few weeks.

A 24-page copy of the Brexit Party's constitution – which has been seen by The Telegraph – makes clear that it is set
up to appeal to disaffected Conservatives.

Its main policy is “that the United Kingdom shall cease to be a member of the European Union and shall not thereafter
make any treaty or join any international organisation which involves in any way the surrender of any part of the
United Kingdom’s sovereignty”.

The constitution also says "the party may stand in all elections to public office from elections to the European
Parliament (whilst the UK remains a member of the European Union) down to the Parish Council level, including Mayoral elections”.



Policies to tempt Tories include encouraging self-reliance, seeking “to diminish the role of the state”, to “lower
the burden of taxation on individuals and businesses” and “strengthen and guarantee the essential, traditional freedoms
of liberties of all people in the United Kingdom”.

Catherine Blaiklock, founder of the party, said “a number of hundred” Conservative members had been in touch to say they
wanted to defect to the new Brexit party. This figure was likely to rise to thousands.

The new party will not be fighting the local elections in May or any upcoming by-elections, she said, but she could
“not rule out” fighting a general election.

Asked if the party would consider a slate of MPs to fight the next general election, she said: “We have to wait on that.

“We are very new, we need to get infrastructure together. The European Parliament elections would be the first test.”

She added: "Never in peacetime has such a betrayal been attempted by this treacherous Conservative government.

“No country has ever signed a treaty like this except under war terms.

“This is a wake-up call. We are going to have thousands of people who will just leave the Conservatives and vote for us
in the event of the European Parliament election.”

Writing for The Telegraph, Mr Farage said the Electoral Commission's decision to recognise the party was
"good news for those of us who believe in democracy".

He said the party could win the European Parliament elections, if they are held.

He said: "The party was founded with my full support and with the intention of fighting the European election
on May 23 if Brexit has not been delivered by then.

"I have made it clear many times that I will not stand by and do nothing, so should this election need to be
contested, I will stand as a candidate for the Brexit Party and I will give it my all.


"I sincerely hope that this prospect is recognised by both the Conservative Party and the Labour Party as a threat.

"If Theresa May and Jeremy Corbyn do not welcome the prospect of this electoral threat, and would like me to retire
from frontline politics, they have a very straightforward opportunity to keep themselves happy.

"All they have to do is deliver a proper Brexit – the one which 17.4 million people voted for in June 2016. Otherwise,
this threat will turn into a promise."

He added: "While I know that there is a huge amount to do in a very short space of time to build and organise a
new party so that it can fight a national election, I have done this before.

"Indeed, under my leadership, Ukip topped the poll in the 2014 European election. Time may be tighter in 2019,
but it would certainly be my intention to achieve the same result again."

He added: "The Brexit Party has already received hundreds of applications from people all over the country
who are ready to stand as candidates.

"On top of this, significant amounts of money have also been pledged to the Brexit Party if it is forced to
take part in an election. The engine is running, in other words."

https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics...-brexit-party/

[Firewire]

Give it up, Nige

[Smithy]

Split the vote further at the next election for Labour to win nice move nige

[Underscore]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Split the vote further at the next election for Labour to win nice move nige

woo for the part in green, boo for the part in red

but yes this is great news for everyone other than the tories

[Nicky91]

Originally Posted by Firewire

Give it up, Nige

tea

Farage needs to give up on politics himself and go for his radio job full time

[LeatherTrumpet]

Originally Posted by Nicky91

tea

Farage needs to give up on politics himself and go for his radio job full time

did you read the article?

[Livia]

I've not found one shred of evidence that anyone from the Tory party is likely to join Farage. Maybe it's a fervent wish that they would because the amount of people who have deflected from the Labour party recently, because of the stance of the leader,

Farage is a joke. His political career is all but over.

[Livia]

Originally Posted by Smithy

Split the vote further at the next election for Labour to win nice move nige

Originally Posted by Underscore

woo for the part in green, boo for the part in red

but yes this is great news for everyone other than the tories

There is no evidence that anyone from the conservatives would be interested in following Farage. Conversely, thousands have left the Labour party recently over the stance of their leader.

My grandmother, and I'm sure lots of elder Jewish people, will leave the country if Corbyn wins. He has made anti-Semitism acceptable.

[Toy Soldier]

Messy. I can't see it getting legs though.

[Scarlett.]

One does wonder what Farage plans once Brexit happens

[Toy Soldier]

Originally Posted by Dia.

One does wonder what Farage plans once Brexit happens

Sat spreadeagle atop the newly refurbished Big Ben, wanking himself literally to death.