Brexit Party MEPs quit and urge people to vote Conservative

5 December 2019, 10:02 | Updated: 5 December 2019, 10:07

Four high profile Brexit Party MEPs are expected to resign and call on voters to back the Conservatives in next week's general election.

The group, including Annunziata Rees-Mogg, has written to party leader Nigel Farage, notifying him of their resignation of the Brexit Party whip.

They will say that if people want to get Brexit done, they should vote for Boris Johnson's Conservatives.

- Nigel Farage will be live on LBC tonight from 8pm, answering questions from LBC listeners.

Annunziata Rees-Mogg said: “We need a strong Leave supporting government to deliver the Brexit 17.4m voted for. The Conservatives are the only option for Brexit supporters and democrats alike.”

Another of the four John Longworth added: “For those who want Brexit, Boris Johnson’s deal is the only option available, Labour does not have a plan."

Lucy Harris and Lance Forman are also resigning.

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage responded: "Whilst we are disappointed that four of our MEPs don’t seem to understand that we both saved the Conservative party from large scale losses to the Liberal Democrats in the South and South West of England but we are also hammering the Labour Leave vote in its traditional heartlands making it much easier for the Conservatives to win many of those seats.

"The only vote on the Leave side that is currently being split is in areas such as Barnsley, the South Wales Valleys, Doncaster and Hartlepool where there is a risk that the Tories will split our vote."

On Wednesday the Brexit Party confirmed the whip was removed from MEP John Longworth, the former director general of the British Chamber of Commerce.

The party's chief whip and MEP Brian Monteith accused Mr Longworth of having "undermined" Nigel Farage's General Election strategy.

"We regret having to remove the whip but we have been left with no alternative after John Longworth repeatedly undermined the party's Brexit strategy over the last few months," Mr Monteith said in a statement.

"The Brexit Party shall not be deflected from, or undermined in, its campaign to win Labour seats.

"We are receiving a great reception from disenchanted Labour voters and have believe we have a good chance of winning in many seats."