Brexit leader and political disruptor Nigel Farage has predicted more trouble in store for the governing Conservative Party if they fail to deliver Brexit, as several leadership contenders question whether getting the UK out of the EU on even the twice-delayed October 31st date is possible.
Speaking on his LBC radio show from Brussels Tuesday evening, Mr Farage took stock of the race to replace Theresa May as leader of the Conservative Party so far — a job that with it presently comes the position of Prime Minister of the United Kingdom.
Noting that Theresa May repeatedly promised to deliver Brexit on the legal date of March 29th before reneging on her word — a decision which has seen her presently governing party take a plunge in the polls and come fifth in a national election last month — Mr Farage predicted worse for whoever her replacement should be if they also failed to deliver on the promise made to the British people.
Mr Farage pointed out that some candidates including Boris Johnson, Dominic Raab, and Esther McVey were vowing to deliver Brexit on time, while others including Michael Gove, Jeremy Hunt, and Rory Stewart questioned whether it was viable at all. If a candidate who promised to honour the Brexit date was elected but like Theresa May failed, Mr Farage predicted:
“I think that would be viewed by many millions of Conservative voters as being a second betrayal, and I think it would far outweigh any short term economic shocks if we weren’t prepared. For the Conservative Party, it would be a catastrophe and yet there are already many candidates saying we cannot leave on that date, or we should consider delaying.”
The Brexit Party leader, whose party is presently riding high in the polls, said the Conservatives would be “in very real trouble” if the October 31st date wasn’t respected.
Expressing his amazement that some were standing to lead the Conservatives on a fully confessed policy of more of the same Brexit chaos, Mr Farage asked rhetorically: “do these people inhabit the same planet as their voters? Do they have any idea what a second betrayal will do to their party?
“…They are completely detached from millions of their voters. If they don’t take us out on October 31st, what is the point of the Conservative Party? ”
There are presently ten candidates to succeed Theresa May as Conservative Party leader, a number which will be reduced to two on Thursday after the first ballot. Those two names will then go to Conservative party members to choose their new leader, who will be crowned Prime Minister in turn. Boris Johnson leads the pack in terms of Parliamentary support, and is a favourite to win the contest even though he pulled out of the race in 2016 when he last had the opportunity to grab the top job.
Mr Johnson has promised to deliver Brexit — even though his Brexiteer credentials have been questioned by top leave campaigners including Nigel Farage in the past — and vowed to cut taxes. Others have chosen less obviously conservative talking points to campaign on, including Home Secretary Sajid Javid who said if he became Prime Minister, he would want to scrap immigration reduction targets.
Oliver JJ Lane is the editor of Breitbart London — Follow him on Twitter and Facebook
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