Nigel Farage claims around 10 Tory MPs could defect

Nigel Farage claims around 10 Tory MPs could jump ship and join a new centre-right ‘insurgency’ as ex-UKIP leader predicts ‘it’s the end of Boris Johnson in the Conservative Party’

• Boris Johnson challenged to join ‘new attempt to break mould of British politics’

Nigel Farage today claimed around 10 Tory MPs could quit the party and join a centre-right ‘insurgency’ in the wake of Boris Johnson’s dramatic exit as an MP.

The ex-UKIP leader challenged the former prime minister to join a ‘new attempt to break the mould of British politics’ after quitting the House of Commons.

He suggested ‘potentially double figures’ of current Conservative MPs – especially those in ‘Red Wall’ seats – could be willing to defect as part of a ‘realignment’.

Mr Farage insisted there was ‘a bigger gap for an insurgency’ in British politics today than a decade ago, when pressure fromTory backbenchers and UKIP led to then-prime minister David Cameron promising an EU referendum.

Allies of Mr Johnson are predicting he will make a swift return to the political frontline after quitting the House of Commons over Partygate and a row over his peerages list.

But Mr Farage suggested Mr Johnson, who has resigned his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat to cause a huge headache for PM Rishi Sunak, would never again be a Tory MP.

Nigel Farage claimed around 10 Tory MPs could quit the party and join a centre-right ‘insurgency’ in the wake of Boris Johnson’s dramatic exit as an MP

Allies of Mr Johnson are predicting he will make a swift return to the political frontline after quitting the House of Commons over Partygate and a row over his peerages list

Mr Johnson’s resignation of his Uxbridge and South Ruislip seat has cause a huge headache for PM Rishi Sunak

‘I think it’s the end of Boris Johnson in the Conservative Party,’ he told the BBC’s Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show.

‘All this talk of “oh, he’ll go for this seat or that seat” – well, hang on, he’s virtually just gifted Uxbridge to the Labour Party.

‘There’s no way he’s going to be given a seat. If he really wants to be in politics he is going to have to be part of some sort of centre-right realignment.

‘It’s been talked about years ago, the referendum stopped it. The UKIP insurgency was getting to such a level that there was real talk about this happening.

‘Now is Johnson somebody who would want to be part of a new attempt to break the mould of British politics? Or would he rather be on the after dinner speaking circuit?’

After leaving UKIP, Mr Farage founded the Brexit Party – now known as Reform UK – in 2018 and went on to win the 2019 European Parliament elections.

But he declined to stand candidates in Conservative-held seats at the 2019 general election in a huge boost to then-Tory leader Mr Johnson.

Mr Farage suggested many of those Conservative MPs who won seats in traditionally Labour-held areas in 2019 might now be considering their options.

‘I think the gap for another insurgency is actually bigger than it was 10 years ago,’ he added.

Asked if any Conservative MPs had been in touch with him about defecting, Mr Farage replied: ‘More than before.

‘I think there are quite a lot of Conservative MPs right now who know they are going to lose their seats  – the Red Wallers know they are going to lose their seats, as it is, running as Conservatives.

‘And if there was a coming together on the centre-right, which is where the gap is, I think quite a few would.’

Pressed on how many Tory MPs might be willing to jump ship, Mr Farage added:  ‘Potentially double figures would not be hard to see.

‘I don’t know what’s going to happen, I don’t know what Boris Johnson is going to do, but I see a bigger gap for an insurgency today than I did before.’

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