Make a pact with Farage if you want to win at polls, Brexiteer urges PM

HARDLINE Tory Brexiteer Steve Baker last night urged Boris Johnson to do a deal with the Brexit Party.

The former Brexit minister said the Tories would need a pact with Nigel Farage’s party to win a general election held before leaving the EU.

The MP, who is the new chairman of the European Research Group, also warned that Theresa May’s deal was ‘irrecoverable’. He told Mr Johnson it would not be ‘adequate’ if only the controversial Irish backstop was removed.

Mr Baker, who once described himself as a ‘Brexit hardman’, said the Brexit Party would stand candidates ‘virtually everywhere’ if there was a poll before leaving. This could result in a Liberal Democrat and Labour ‘Remain coalition’ which would put Brexit at risk, he said.

‘That’s why I’ve said we need to have some sort of accommodation with them,’ added Mr Baker.

His comments came as Mr Farage offered an olive branch to Mr Johnson, promising to put ‘country before party’ and agree an electoral pact but only if the Prime Minister agrees to a clean break from Brussels.

However the MEP insisted he still did not fully trust the Prime Minister to abandon Mrs May’s deal. He told the BBC Radio 4 Today programme yesterday: ‘He is intent on reheating Mrs May’s Withdrawal Agreement.’

Tory success in a poll could rely on the Brexit Party not splitting the Eurosceptic vote in key marginal seats. But Mr Farage has already signalled he is ready to put up candidates in all 650 parliamentary constituencies if necessary.