Nigel Farage to launch eighth bid to become an MP at next general election
2 min read
Nigel Farage has confirmed that he will mount an eighth attempt to become an MP in a bid to ensure Britain leaves the European Union.
The former Ukip leader's new Brexit Party is on course beat both Labour and the Conservatives at the EU elections next week, amid a growing backlash from Leave voters over the ongoing parliamentary deadlock.
Mr Farage also confirmed that he would be willing to prop up a minority Tory government at Westminster if it meant that a no-deal Brexit would be delivered.
The MEP has failed to be elected to the Commons on seven different occasions since the 1990s.
When asked during a Q&A with LBC radio whether he would stand in the event of a snap general election too, Mr Farage said: “I’m going to have to, of course. It’s a duty, it’s a duty, it’s a duty.
“We cannot ever allow again a great democratic exercise like this to be railroaded aside by career politicians of the Labour and Tory parties.”
On whether he would back a eurosceptic Tory PM in the event of a hung Parliament, he said: "If we can save £39bn, come out of the customs union, come out of the single market, come out of the jurisdiction of the European Court of Justice and be a genuinely independent, self-governing democracy that can choose its own future, I’d do a deal with the devil to get that.”
A European election poll by YouGov for The Times on Monday put the Brexit Party on 34%, with Labour on 16%, the Lib Dems on 15%, the Greens on 11% and the Tories in fifth place on just 10%.
The pollsters' Westminster election poll put the Tories and Labour on 24% each, with the Brexit Party on 18%, the Lib Dems on 16% and the Greens on 7%.
PoliticsHome Newsletters
PoliticsHome provides the most comprehensive coverage of UK politics anywhere on the web, offering high quality original reporting and analysis: Subscribe
