Brexit Party candidate: Tories at all levels tried to make me quit
A BREXIT Party candidate claims Tories “at every level” up to No 10 tried to persuade him to step down, as Nigel Farage made fresh allegations of “corruption” against the Conservatives.
Mike Greene, the Brexit Party candidate for Peterborough, said he was happy to be part of any investigation after it was confirmed the Met Police are assessing two complaints of electoral fraud.
It came as polling suggested the Brexit Party’s chaotic week had contributed to a fall in its projected share of the vote from more than 10 per cent to just 6.8 per cent.
Mr Greene, a retail entrepreneur, said: “I have not been offered a peerage but I can tell you, and I can evidence, and I have shared that evidence and I will happily be part of an investigation, I have had calls from every level, from councillors up to No 10, and I’m not stepping down.”
He added: “What they are saying is step aside to give us a clear run. It’s akin to when you take away choice – is that not heading towards a dictatorship? People deserve a choice. We live in a democracy.”
Mr Farage stepped up the pressure yesterday by claiming Sir Eddie Lister, the Prime Minister’s chief strategic adviser, rang Mr Greene to offer him a job in higher education if he stood down. “It’s corruption,” he added.
Brandon Lewis, the Tory security minister, said yesterday: “No one has been offered jobs or anything like that. There have been no job offers, we have done no deals with anybody.”
However, the Brexit Party said it had asked all of its candidates to pass on any information about calls from the Tories as it continues to compile a dossier of evidence to hand to the police.
A source said: “The widespread bullying and intimidation probably isn’t illegal and it’s just unpleasant, but the police are investigating and we will cooperate with that.” Mr Farage has claimed eight senior figures in the Brexit Party had been offered peerages and a place in the Brexit negotiating team. He said Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory minister, had made it “perfectly clear” she also received two phone calls from a senior No10 official offering her a job on the Brexit negotiating team if she stood down.
The first complaint to the police was made by Rob Blackie, a former Liberal Democrat aide, after Mr Farage claimed he had twice been offered a peerage.
The second was submitted by Lord Falconer, the former Labour lord chancellor, who focused on claims that allies of Mr Johnson offered jobs.
Mr Farage stood down 317 candidates in Tory-held seats last week after being warned that he could end up scuppering a Conservative majority and Brexit itself, although there was continued criticism at his refusal to step down in Labour-held marginals.
A new poll of polls by Electoral Calculus suggests the chaos over the Brexit Party has failed to have a significant impact on the Tories’ vote share, although a new analysis has slashed Mr Johnson’s predicted majority.
It shows the Tories on 39.9 per cent, up from 38.2 per cent a week earlier, with Labour up from 27.2 per cent to 29.3 per cent. The two parties’ gains were at the expense of the Brexit Party.
However, a “regression” analysis by Electoral Calculus of how votes are distributed geographically seat by seat cuts Mr Johnson’s predicted majority from 96 to 50, with the Conservatives on 350 seats, Labour on 213 and the Liberal Democrats on 19.