Nigel Farage mulls new pro-Brexit party amid Ukip chaos over Tommy Robinson
2 min read
Nigel Farage has hinted that he could set up a new pro-Brexit political party following a string of high-profile exits from Ukip.
The party's ex-leader quit Ukip this week over the appointment of English Defence League founder Tommy Robinson - whose real name is Stephen Yaxley-Lennon - as an adviser to the leadership on rape gangs and prison reform.
Mr Robinson will today lead a pro-Brexit march through the streets of London organised by Ukip, with Labour's John McDonnell branding the group "far-right extremists dressing up in suits and pretending to be respectable".
Amid the ongoing disarray in Ukip's ranks, Mr Farage is reportedly holding talks with David Canzini, an aide to Conservative elections guru Sir Lynton Crosby, about a fresh campaign aimed at tapping into public anger with Theresa May's Brexit deal.
He told the Sunday Times: "If you say to the Great British public, ‘We’re not actually leaving after March 29, we’ve pushed it on for another year, or two years,’ then I think the attitude of half the country towards the political class will be sulphurous," he said.
"In those circumstances a pro-Brexit political party, without people like Stephen Yaxley-Lennon in it, could stun everybody with its first couple of polling results."
The former Ukip chief became embroiled in a war of words with the party's current leader Gerard Batten this week, prompting Mr Batten to quit the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy alliance in the EU Parliament.
It came after Mr Farage - who quit the party earlier this week - told PoliticsHome Mr Batten was "Ukip's Corbyn" and said he would damage the group through his links with Mr Robinson.
Struggling to get your head around the latest Ukip drama? PoliticsHome spoke to all the major players for an in-depth look at the state of the party
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