REPORT: Tory Members Threatened with Party Expulsion if They Back Farage

British politician and The Brexit Party leader, Nigel Farage attends the launch of The Bre
OLI SCARFF/AFP/Getty
Victoria Friedman

Conservative Party members have reportedly been warned they face expulsion if they are caught campaigning for the Brexit Party.

“All party members, including elected representatives at all levels, are expected to fully support the party in all elections.

“Campaigning for or endorsement of any other political party is incompatible with membership of the party… The board will not hesitate to enforce these rules,” a leaked email from the Conservative Party board seen by The Times said.

Tory MPs are also believed to be considering joining the Brexit Party, with the newspaper having sight of a leaked WhatsApp message from a senior Tory Brexiteer to members of the European Research Group (ERG) which said, “Maybe we should all just defect to the Brexit Party. Can you imagine the chaos.”

Mr Farage revealed the sister of prominent Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, Annunziata Rees-Mogg, as one of his first party candidates earlier this month. The twice-Conservative Party candidate, Ms Rees-Mogg was not the last defection to the Brexit Party, with Tory veteran Ann Widdecombe becoming a candidate for the group this week.

More Tories joining the Brexit Party are possible, with a source close to Mr Farage telling The Times the party leader “is 100 per cent sure that there is at least one high-profile defection in the pipeline with others likely to follow.”

Westminster presence has become an important issue for the Brexit Party with Mr Farage announcing Thursday that after the party has fought the May 23rd European Parliament elections, it will begin preparing for May 2022’s national General Elections.

Recent polls for European Parliament voting intentions have been putting the Tories in third place, with a poll by YouGov published Sunday placing the Brexit Party in first position with 28 per cent, followed by Labour at 22 per cent, and the Tories with less than half of that of the Brexit Party at 13 per cent. Another poll by Survation ties Labour and the Brexit Party in first place with 27 per cent, the Tories in third with 16 per cent.

While it has been clear that the appearance on the political scene of the Brexit Party has been draining support from the Conservatives, Mr Farage also plans to target Labour seats, having criticised the left-wing party for “abandoning their voters” who voted Brexit.

Speaking to the Mail on Sunday, Mr Farage said, “The truth is Labour are now a nailed-on Remainer party. I just don’t think that millions of Labour voters realise the extent that this has been done to them.”

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