Farage: I’m now more optimistic about Brexit

NIGEL FARAGE has said he is “more optimistic about Brexit” than he has been in a while, and said the Tories could win a majority if they campaign to leave the EU without a deal.

Writing for telegraph.co.uk, Mr Farage says running an election on a “nodeal” platform will help Boris Johnson “gain many votes” from the Brexit Party, suggesting a formal deal between the parties will not be needed.

Last night Downing Street would not rule out a general election campaign based on a no-deal manifesto. It followed a No10 memo, believed to have been sent by Dominic Cummings, Mr Johnson’s chief of staff, on Monday, which said: “To marginalise the Brexit Party, we will have to fight the election on the basis of ‘no more delays, get Brexit done immediately’.”

Mr Farage says the Tories have “no option” but to fight a general election campaign on that basis. Opening the door to a deal with the Brexit Party, Mr Farage writes: “If Johnson goes for a clean Brexit manifesto he will lose some votes to the Lib Dems. But he stands to gain many more from us, provided we are seen to cooperate.

“Winning a huge Brexit majority in Parliament is the prize that awaits. If we work together to fight against the real enemy, Jeremy Corbyn and his bunch of wreckers, we would deliver a positive campaign with a decisive result.” He says he understands why Mr Johnson has tried pushing through his plans but is “pleased this latest proposed deal is now all but dead” adding: “In fact, I’m feeling more optimistic about Brexit than I have for a long time. The choice is looking clearer. Either we leave the bloc, or we remain in it.”

On negotiations with Brussels he says: “Aggressive Downing Street briefings following Boris Johnson’s phone call with Angela Merkel on Tuesday have led to rebukes from Donald Tusk and to Jean-claude Juncker accusing the UK of committing the ‘original sin’. What this week’s events have proved is keeping Britain in the Customs Union was always the EU’S priority.”