Nigel Farage hits back as Prime Minister Boris Johnson rules out Brexit Party election pact
The Prime Minister has ruled out a General Election pact with Nigel Farage’s Brexit Party, saying the former Ukip leader was not a “fit and proper” person.
According to the Sun, Farage had been in conversations with “people who are very close to Boris [Johnson]” about a possible agreement to help win what is expected to be an imminent General Election.
Read more: PM faces Brexit rebellion as backstop position shifts
The paper reports that Farage believes his party can win 40 to 50 seats, and would be willing to work with the current government in return for key promises around Brexit.
Namely, he wants to abandon the Withdrawal Agreement in place of a two-year standstill with Brussels while the future agreement is worked out, the Sun said.
But a senior Tory source today flatly rejected these suggestions.
“Neither Nigel Farage not Arron Banks are fit and proper persons and they should never be allowed anywhere near government,” he said.
A Downing Street spokesman added: “The Prime Minister will not be doing a deal with Nigel Farage.”
Farage did not take this public slap-down lightly, tweeting: “Does the Downing Street spokesman want to play petty party politics or deliver on the wishes of 17.4 million people? It’s time they made up their minds.”
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