Nigel Farage has criticised the three MEPs who left his Brexit party to support the Conservatives, dismissing claims that the leave vote is being split. Annunziata Rees-Mogg, Lance Forman and Lucy Harris resigned the whip on Thursday, just seven days before the general election, to back Boris Johnson's Brexit deal.
In an interview with Andrew Neil, Farage rejected Rees-Mogg's assertion that the leave vote was being divided. He argued that the Brexit party was gaining support in Labour-held seats, citing a poll showing a 17-point rise in Great Grimsby. Farage claimed that the Conservatives, by contesting seats in areas like Doncaster and Barnsley, were the ones splitting the leave vote.
The departure of the three MEPs is a blow to Farage, whose party is polling at just 3% despite winning the most seats in the European elections. The move follows the sacking of MEP John Longworth for allegedly undermining Farage's strategy. At a press conference, the four MEPs said they left to avoid splitting the Brexit vote in key marginals.
Rees-Mogg stated that a strong leave-supporting government was needed to deliver Brexit, adding that the Conservatives were the only option for Brexit supporters. A Brexit party spokesman suggested the Tories had attempted to bribe candidates to stand down, but the MEPs denied any contact with the Conservative party.
