Brexit champion Nigel Farage is threatening a comeback to “obliterate” the Conservative (Tory) Party after reports they intend to reverse Brexit.
Farage, the former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) and Brexit Party, now Reform UK, stepped back from the political frontline shortly after delivering the final blow to the Theresa May-led Tories in the 2019 European Parliament elections, which Britain was dragged into — years after the vote to Leave the European Union — due to the Remainer prime minister failing to get country out of the bloc.
Though still honorary president of Reform UK, now led by Richard Tice, he is no longer really active in party politics, focusing on commentary and particular issues such as the Channel migrant crisis in his semi-retirement.
That, however, could be about to change, as reports emerge that senior figures within Rishi Sunak’s government are seeking a new, Switzerland-style deal with the European Union, which would mean effective submission to EU rule with respect to customs and regulations the return of the free movement migration regime — indeed, the British would likely have to swallow worse terms than the landlocked Swiss, given there is no indication Brussels intends to stop insisting on maintaining its right to plunder British waters any time soon.
“[Y]ou’ve heard the mood music over the last few weeks: ‘Oh, we’re getting on so much better with Brussels, isn’t it marvellous; there’ll be a settlement of the Northern Ireland problem before too long’ — this is all because we are now prepared to surrender,” Farage asserted in a YouTube video.
“[Jeremy] Hunt is in charge, Sunak is Prime Minister, the globalists are in the ascendancy, and the eurosceptics in the Tory Party are reduced back to being the rump they were once before,” Farage said.
He went on to make it clear, however, that, as he returned to frontline politics to put an end to “BRINO” — Brexit in name only — during the Theresa May era, reducing the Tories to “eight per cent in a national election, their worst result in 200 years” in the last European Parliament election, he would do so again to stop another betrayal.
“If they think they can betray Brexit — and frankly, they probably have already, really… immigration still running at record levels… the English Channel, where they’re not prepared to lift a finger and take us out of the [European Court of Human Rights] and get Brexit done properly; the lack of opportunities for British fishermen; the fact that our millions of businesses have not seen ludicrous EU rules removed — I think the truth of it is the Tories never really believed in Brexit, they just went with it in 2019 for political opportunity,” he said.
“[L]et me promise you something: what happened in 2019 will happen again” if the Tories go ahead with pursuing a Swiss-style alignment with EU rules, Farage stated.
“They will literally get obliterated at the next general election… Getting back involved in active politics is not on my bucket list, it’s not what I want to do,” he said. “But I simply couldn’t stand aside and do nothing if this act of betrayal continues. So, please, if you are Conservative, take this as a warning — no, sorry, a threat — it will happen, you will be obliterated if you continue down this route.”
Following the wider backlash to news of the Switzerland deal scheme, Sunak’s government has denied the reports on it — although in somewhat suspicious terms.
“Brexit means we will never again have to accept a relationship with Europe that would see a return to freedom of movement, unnecessary payments to the European Union or jeopardise the full benefit of trade deals we are now able to strike around the world,” a Downing Street spokesman said in comments reported by The Sun — although none of this would rule out a more liberal migration regime called something other than free movement, payments to the European Union not deemed “unnecessary”, and striking trade deals around the world while still having an obligation to align with EU rules, like the Swiss.
“Their denials do not convince me at all,” Farage told the newspaper.
The Sunday Times, which broke the Swiss deal story, has also pushed back on government attempts to dismiss the reports such a deal was under consideration, saying it “does not publish important stories like this unless they are impeccably sourced.”
PM Rishi Sunak further buttressed the government’s rebuttal of the story Monday morning, speaking to the Confederation of British Industry and remarking: “Under my leadership, the United Kingdom will not pursue any relationship with Europe that relies on alignment with EU laws.”
Tellingly, the government has not denied senior figures did speak to the newspaper about a possible Swiss deal.
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