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Farage says Brexit will be delayed again when PM Johnson's deal falls


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Farage says Brexit will be delayed again when PM Johnson's deal falls

By Guy Faulconbridge

 

2019-09-16T070930Z_1_LYNXMPEF8F0D7_RTROPTP_4_BRITAIN-EU-VOTERS.JPG

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage speaks during a Brexit Party news conference in London, Britain August 27, 2019. REUTERS/Henry Nicholls/Files

 

SOUTHPORT, England (Reuters) - Brexit campaigner Nigel Farage says he believes Britain's departure from the European Union will be delayed again because parliament will reject Prime Minister Boris Johnson's attempt to do a last-minute deal with Brussels.

 

Cast by his supporters as the godfather of Brexit, Farage said Britain's exit, due on Oct. 31, was now in doubt as what he called the political elite in London was plotting with the EU to betray the 2016 referendum, in which Britain voted 52%-48% to leave.

 

Farage said Britain was in the grip of its biggest row since the English Civil War in the 17th century and that Johnson risked destroying his Conservative Party as he was trying to reheat the failed exit deal of his predecessor Theresa May.

 

"At the Oct. 17-18 EU summit there will be some give from the European Union and Boris will bring it back to parliament before Oct. 31 and, I suspect, fail to get it through," the Brexit Party leader told Reuters in an interview.

 

"So we won't leave on the 31st of October and then we are really into uncharted waters - whether parliament imposes a second referendum or we have a general election, I really don't know," Farage, 55, said.

 

A former commodities trader, Farage has transformed British politics over the past decade by poaching Conservative voters to force a succession of prime ministers towards ever tougher positions on Europe.

 

The perceived electoral threat to the Conservatives from the United Kingdom Independence Party which Farage formerly led was one of the main reasons then-prime minister David Cameron decided in 2013 to promise the Brexit referendum.

 

A member of the European parliament, Farage has stood for a seat in the British parliament seven times and lost each time.

 

But shunned by the British political establishment, Farage, backed by Eurosceptic financiers, helped sell Brexit to millions of voters in England and Wales who felt ignored by the mainstream Conservative and Labour parties.

 

The United Kingdom was due to leave on March 29 but it was delayed because May's deal was defeated three times by parliament.

 

SOME KIND OF PACT?

With the United Kingdom split down the middle over Brexit, Farage has offered Johnson an electoral pact to ensure Brexiteers remain in power to deliver the divorce, but he has so far been rejected.

 

A Conservative source last week said Farage was not a fit and proper person to be allowed near power - a barb he dismissed as coming from a "pipsqueak" Conservative spokesman.

 

"I still don't rule out the possibility of some kind of pact, some kind of deal, but I am not banking on it," Farage said, adding if Brexit was not delivered on Oct. 31 then his Brexit Party would see its poll ratings surge beyond 20 percent.

 

Farage has offered to not stand against Conservative candidates in return for having a free run in 80 to 90 parliamentary seats in Wales, the Midlands and the North East where his party hopes to beat the opposition Labour Party.

 

If the Brexit Party held the balance of power after an election, what would the kingmaker's pound of flesh be?

 

Answer: "a clean break Brexit".

 

Farage dismissed concerns over the economic impact of no-deal Brexit as "Project Fear Mark II" confected by "Whitehall pen pushers".

 

When asked if Donald Trump, with whom he was photographed in a gilded lift at Trump Tower shortly after the 2016 presidential election, should intervene and get involved in Brexit talks, Farage said: "I think he already is."

 

Farage's enemies say he sells a vision of a Britain that never was to insecure voters challenged by globalisation, though opponents admit that the failure of the main parties to address concerns over immigration allowed him to win voters.

 

In the English seaside resort of Southport, Farage received a standing ovation from a 1,600-seat theatre packed with supporters, some of whom shouted out "traitor" when he named prominent politicians and media organisations who he said were trying to thwart Brexit.

 

"We are the safety valve for the anger that will be expressed on Nov. 1 if we haven't left the European Union," Farage said. "If we don't deliver on the result of this referendum this country will never be the same again."

 

(Reporting by Guy Faulconbridge; editing by Michael Holden and Angus MacSwan)

 

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-- © Copyright Reuters 2019-09-16
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3 hours ago, tebee said:

But there isn't a good deal that's acceptable to any sort of majority  

 

2 hours ago, Jip99 said:

 

 

I think you will find that almost any revised deal would find favour with parliament. 

 

The Lib Dems are duty bound to vote against against any deal as they have now said they would revoke Article 50. Labour have got to be careful; Corbyn has so many splinters in his ar5e from sitting on the fence that he will have to go with any revised deal (which is what he said he wanted) - or, concede that an election is only way to unblock the impasse.

Yes, the latest talk is he will bring back TM's deal with or without cosmetic changes. They reckon there are only about 10  Tory eurosceptic rebels who will oppose it and maybe 50 Lab who will support it . 

 

It might pass.

 

It's still not a good deal.

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33 minutes ago, tebee said:

 

Yes, the latest talk is he will bring back TM's deal with or without cosmetic changes. They reckon there are only about 10  Tory eurosceptic rebels who will oppose it and maybe 50 Lab who will support it . 

 

It might pass.

 

It's still not a good deal.

Do not forget he has lost 23 MP's in the lats few weeks,  30 Tories in total since the last election.

 

First meaningful vote defeated 202-432 3 Labour and 3 independent MP's voted for...

Second meaningful vote defeated 242-391 3 Labour and 4 independent MP's voted for...

Third meaningful vote defeated 286-344 5 Labour and 4 independent MP's voted for...

 

You really think Labour 50 MP's will vote with the Government on basically the same deal? 

 

 

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2 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

Swinson, you and others posters who are against democracy are the swamp that has infested a great country. It is that statement of ignoring democracy embarrasses all those who fought for democracy, in two world wars

...says the person who thinks people shouldn’t exercise their right of free speech by booing a Prime Minister ???? 

 

2 hours ago, Laughing Gravy said:

You ought be be ashamed of yourself. If you are not, then I am ashamed for you and any other Brit who believes that ignoring the democratic referendum result, is more important than democracy itself.

It was an advisory referendum only. Nothing is being ignored.  

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" "So we won't leave on the 31st of October and then we are really into uncharted waters.."

Nigel you said it would be as easy as falling off a bar stool during referendum..... and now UK heading into areas like old maps with warning "There be dragons here...."

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