Conservatives will defect to us, claims Brexit Party founder

HUNDREDS of Conservative Party members are likely to defect to a new Brexit party, its backers claim.

The Electoral Commission yesterday formally recognised the Brexit Party as an official organisation, which will allow it to field candidates at elections.

Nigel Farage, the former Ukip leader who is supporting the party, said he stood “ready for battle”.

A 24-page copy of the party’s constitution, seen by The Daily Telegraph, makes clear that it is set up to appeal to disaffected Conservatives.

Its main policy is that the UK “shall cease to be a member of the European Union and shall not thereafter make any treaty or join any international organisation which involves in any way the surrender of any part of the United Kingdom’s sovereignty”.

Catherine Blaiklock, the party’s founder, said several “hundred” Conservative members had been in touch to say they wanted to defect to the new party.

Asked if it would consider a slate of MPS to fight the next general election, she said: “The European Parliament elections would be the first test.”

One of the party candidates at any election will be Nigel Farage. Writing for The Telegraph, he said: “Should this election need to be contested, I will stand as a candidate for the Brexit Party.”

SIR – Ambrose Evans-pritchard’s article (Business, February 7) clearly shows that the draft Withdrawal Agreement is actually an irrevocable, hostile takeover bid by the EU, backstop or not.

This is far from the first time we have seen clear warnings of the threats buried in the draft’s small print, yet Theresa May still seems wedded to it. Why are government lawyers and MPS being so complacent?

Leaving without a deal is not the end of the world, but signing up to Mrs May’s deal might well be just that for the UK as we know it.

We need to open our eyes to what Brussels is up to. We must rip up the draft and walk away before it is too late. If necessary, suitable matters might be negotiated individually later, by then from a position of strength. Michael Allisstone

Chichester, West Sussex

SIR – Ambrose Evans-pritchard’s article is the most persuasive debunking of Mrs May’s proposed deal that I have seen. It completely destroys any notion that the backstop is the only problem with this disastrous proposal.

It should be brought to the attention of every single MP and peer. It has cemented my view that no-deal is the only way to extricate ourselves from the appalling situation that Mrs May and Parliament have between them managed to engineer. Brian Carmichael

Belton, Rutland

SIR – Professor Martin Mckee (Letters, February 8) says that “no one can possibly know what people were voting for” in the referendum.

I can only assume that he didn’t read the government propaganda booklet that was delivered to every home in the United Kingdom. In it, the consequences of a vote to leave were set out very clearly. Maurice Hastings

Northam, Devon

SIR – On January 17 2017, Theresa May set out her plan for Brexit at Lancaster House. Two weeks later, the House of Commons voted to invoke Article 50.

The answer to Donald Tusk and others who claim that those who promoted Brexit had no plan is just that. The Brexiteers were behind Mrs May’s plan. Boris Johnson repeatedly pleaded with her to return to that plan.

Mrs May has reneged on it, and spineless members of her Cabinet have let her get away with it. Michael Maughan

Tynemouth, Northumberland

SIR – You report “German business is worried about a no-deal Brexit”, “Italian economic despair could have global impact, warns IMF” and “France could follow Italy into technical recession” (Business, February 7).

If only Theresa May could grasp this opportunity to lay down the terms that we want, our exit from the EU would be done mighty quickly. Unfortunately, she is no Margaret Thatcher. Eric Vaughan

Alford, Lincolnshire