Brexit Party candidate asked to stand down

A BREXIT Party candidate has said Tory opponents have tried to get him to stand down.

John Kennedy, 54, is a former Conservative party member, whose membership lapsed four years before he joined Nigel Farage’s latest party.

He was due to stand in Gosport but switched to Portsmouth South when Mr Farage revealed he would not stand candidates in Tory seats.

Donna Jones, Tory candidate, previously tweeted a plea for the Brexit Party not tostandagainsther.

‘I was lobbied by a number of people who said they'd been asked to by the local Conservative association,’ Mr Kennedy said.

He added: ‘I had a soft offer but I didn’t treat it particularly seriously.’

Mr Kennedy said the person asked if he was interested in ‘doing something other than being the parliamentary candidate in Portsmouth South'.

He replied: ‘Yeah, I will be the MP.’ Mr Farage said their candidates have been approached by Conservatives.