Mail inspires Brexit Party hopeful to stand aside
A BREXIT Party candidate last night announced he was standing down to avoid splitting the Leave vote and letting in a Labour MP.
Reece Wilkes, who is standing in marginal Lincoln, urged voters to back the Tory hopeful to make sure Brexit happens.
He made his decision after he was deluged by messages from Daily Mail readers who responded to our Letter to Save Brexit appeal. More than 100 people emailed him urging him to help save Brexit by stepping aside.
Last night Mr Wilkes wrote to Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage informing him of his decision.
He also urged other Brexit Party candidates in marginal seats to ‘put country before party’ and back their local Tory hopeful. He wrote in the letter: ‘As I’m sure you will be aware, the Daily Mail recently published an article suggesting readers email candidates to urge them to step down due to the concern it could assist Remain Labour candidates in marginal seats. I have to say, I found many of the arguments submitted highly persuasive.
‘It has become clear to me down on the ground in Lincoln that by failing to back the Conservative candidate, who is pro-Brexit, I will split the vote and inadvertently assist in getting a Remainer Labour MP back into Parliament.’ He added: ‘I do not wish to be responsible for Brexit being frustrated... in the next Parliament, by hindering a pro-Brexit Conservative candidate in a marginal seat.’
Mr Wilkes, a lawyer, insisted he had arrived at the decision himself and had made no contact with the Conservatives. He endorsed Tory candidate Karl McCartney, who was the MP for Lincoln from 2010 to 2017 and is standing again.
He is up against incumbent Labour MP Karen Lee, who has a majority of just 1,538 in a seat which voted 57 per cent Leave. Mr Wilkes said he did not want to help a ‘pro-EU candidate get back into office’ as it would ‘defeat the purpose of standing’.
Last night he told the Mail: ‘Karl McCartney will ensure Brexit is
delivered... we must support him.’ Mr McCartney praised his former opponent’s ‘honourable and principled’ decision.
Mr Farage has stood down Brexit Party candidates in Toryheld seats, but the party is still contesting more than 200, including marginals. Mr Wilkes’ name will remain on ballot papers as they have already been printed.
n Mr Farage last night confirmed he would be spoiling his ballot paper because he could not bring himself to vote for the Tories. He told Radio 5 Live he could not back the PM’s deal ‘ because it’s not Brexit’. The Brexit Party is not standing in his Kent constituency.