Jubilant Nigel Farage warns he will obliterate the Tories as leadership rivals Boris Johnson and Michael Gove scramble over Brexit
NIGEL Farage warned he will obliterate the Tories in the next General Election unless they deliver Brexit by Halloween.
He said his Brexit Party’s Euro election victory was a huge “wake-up call” to politicians who have failed to honour their promise to voters.
Farage said: “This clearly will put pressure on the Tories and pressure on the leadership candidates. Are they going to respond?
“If we don’t leave on the 31 October then I believe we can produce a result in the next General Election that will stun them.”
He threw down the gauntlet after his six-week old party won 29 MEP seats as voters abandoned both Tories and Labour to register fury at the stalled Brexit process.
His challenge triggered a swift reaction among the Tory leadership hopefuls — with the rivals scrambling to pledge Brexit by Halloween and in some cases edge towards No Deal.
Bookies’ favourite Boris Johnson said the public had delivered “a crushing rebuke” for the abject failure to deliver Brexit.
He added: “If we go on like this, we will be fired. Dismissed from the job of running the country.”
Fellow Brexiteer Dominic Raab said the message from voters was “unless we get on and actually leave the EU they will rightly kick us out at the next election”.
Environment Secretary Michael Gove echoed that sentiment, saying: “One message is clear from these results — we absolutely need to deliver Brexit. I led the campaign to take Britain out of the European Union and we must honour that referendum result.”
NIGE’S WIN SPARKS PANIC
Andrea Leadsom, who resigned from the Cabinet over Theresa May’s doomed Brexit deal, said: “These results are truly terrible and demonstrate the damage that has been done to the Conservative Party and to the country in not leaving the European Union.
“It is now vital we now find a way to decisively leave the EU.”
Foreign Secretary Jeremy Hunt said the party risked a wipeout if it did not deliver.
He tweeted: “We knew it was coming but still a painful result.
“Existential risk to our party unless we now come together and get Brexit done.”
Work and Pensions Secretary Esther McVey, a hardline Brexiteer, pushed for No Deal.
She said: “We must leave the EU on 31st October with a clean break, nothing else will wash now.”
But Heath Secretary Matt Hancock continued to stress the need for compromise, saying the Tories had to come up with a plan that can get through Parliament.
He said: “The brutal truth is plans that cannot command the confidence of parliament would risk a general election.
“We would be punished for our failure to deliver Brexit and under any leader this would risk Corbyn by Christmas.”
Results across the country in full after Brexit Party victory
East of England (7 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dems 23%, Greens 13%, Tories 10%, Labour 9%, Change UK 4%, Ukip 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1, Tories 1
East Midlands (5 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Lib Dems 17%, Labour 14%, Tories 11%, Greens 11%, Ukip 5%, Change UK 4%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Lib Dems 1, Labour 1
London (8 MEPs)
Lib Dems 27%, Labour 24, Brexit Party 18%, Greens 12%, Tories 8%, Change UK 5%, Ukip 2%
Lib Dems 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Brexit Party 2, Greens 1
North East (3 MEPs)
Brexit Party 39%, Labour 19%, Lib Dems 17%, Greens 8%, Tories 7%, Ukip 6%, Change UK 4%
Brexit Party 2 MEPs, Labour 1
North West (8 MEPs)
Brexit Party 31%, Labour 22%, Lib Dems 17%, Greens 13%, Tories 8%, Ukip 4%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 2, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1
South East (10 MEPs)
Brexit Party 36%, Lib Dems 26%, Greens 14%, Tories 10%, Labour 7%, Change UK 4%, Ukip 2%
Brexit Party 4 MEPs, Lib Dems 3, Greens 1, Tories 1, Labour 1
South West (6 MEPs)
Brexit Party 37%, Lib Dems 23%, Greens 18%, Tories 9%, Labour 7% Ukip 3%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3, Lib Dems 2, Greens 1
West Midlands (7 MEPs)
Brexit Party 38%, Labour 17%, Lib Dems 16%, Greens 11%, Tories 10%, Ukip 5%, Change UK 3%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 1, Lib Dems 1, Greens 1, Tories 1
Yorkshire & Humber (6 MEPs)
Brexit Party 37%, Labour 16%, Lib Dems 16%, Greens 13%, Tories 7%, Ukip 4%, Yorkshire Party 4%, Change UK 2%
Brexit Party 3 MEPs, Labour 1, Lib Dems 1, Greens 1
Wales (4 MEPs)
Brexit Party 33%, Plaid Cymru 20%, Labour 15%, Lib Dems 14%, Tories 7%, Greens 6%, Ukip 3%
Brexit Party 2 MEPs, Plaid Cymru 1, Labour 1
Scotland (6 MEPs)
[Official results declared 11am, but nearly all votes are already counted]
SNP 38%, Brexit Party 15%, Lib Dems 14%, Tories 12%, Scottish Labour 9%, Greens 8%
SNP 3 MEPs, Brexit Party 1, Lib Dems 1, Tories 1 (Predicted)
Northern Ireland (3 MEPs)
Full results expected Tuesday afternoon
CORBYN FACES MUTINY
But despite the renewed pledges, Farage said voters simply cannot trust the Tories to get Britain out of the EU by the end of October.
He added: “Just because candidates are saying it doesn’t mean you have to believe them. I
“have to tell you I don’t. Why would you trust any of them?”
Farage also blasted Corbyn’s Labour for their Brexit betrayal, saying: “They’ve been mightily trounced by the Brexit Party.
“In some ways the Labour party today are in more trouble than the Conservative party.”
Farage also insisted his Brexit Party should be allowed to join any future talks in Brussels over Brexit.
BREXHIT LIST
Mrs May, who will remain PM until the Tories choose a new leader, stayed largely out of sight — although she did emerge from Chequers to go on a walk with husband Philip.
She also tweeted: “A very disappointing night for the Tories. I sincerely hope these results focus minds in Parliament.”
But leading Tory Brexiteer Steve Baker suggested the wound was self-inflicted.
He said: “It is a grave time for our party but I’m not surprised that the result is as bad as it is. You just can’t break promises like this and expect to go unpunished.”
MOST READ IN BREXIT
An opinion poll revealed more than half those who voted Tory in the General Election had switched to the Brexit Party.
And pollster John Curtice warned many of them will not switch back until the UK leaves the EU.
He said: “Now that Theresa May hasn’t delivered, it seems to me once bitten, twice shy.
“They will probably wish to see the UK leaving the European Union before many of them are willing to go back again.”
What do MEPs do, what powers do they have and how can it affect the votes?
MEPs are Members of the European Parliament – representatives who sit in Europe on our behalf.
Britain has 73 of those who represent 12 of the country’s regions.
They join members from across the 28 other EU member states to form the European Parliament.
MEPs don’t make EU law but they do have the right to vote on directives and regulations that can be adopted by the other countries.
They do vote on whether to pass laws or not – including on workers’ rights, health and safety, climate change, health care and migration.
They essentially set the agenda in the EU.
The political parties from across the 28 countries form blocks with other like minded groups. Whichever group is the largest elects the European Parliament President.
MEPs also vote on the EU budget and influence how that money is spend.
They earn £7,957 a month – around the same as a British MP. MEPs also get a monthly allowance for expenses to cover their office, rent, phone or staff.
They can hold the European Commission to account and can force it to resign.
EU ELECTION WINNERS
BREXIT PARTY — ANNUNZIATA REES-MOGG
THE sister of Tory MP Jacob is among several colourful characters being sent to Brussels by Britain.
The former journalist, 40, who represents East Midlands, started out by joining the Conservative Party — at the tender age of seven.
BREXIT PARTY — DR DAVID BULL
NOW a qualified medic, Dr Bull, 50, first came to public attention as host of Newsround and Most Haunted Live.
In 2007, when he was an openly gay political hopeful, he wore a T-shirt saying: “I’ve Come Out, I’m a Tory.” He is now MEP for the North West.
GREEN PARTY — MAGID MAGID
BORN in Somalia, Magid, 29, came to live in Sheffield with his mum at the age of five.
Before he was elected in the North West, he was voted in as Sheffield’s youngest-ever Lord Mayor.
He played Star Wars’ Imperial March at his swearing-in last year.
BREXIT PARTY AND GREEN PARTY — ALEXANDRA PHILLIPS
JUST to add to the confusion, two women called Alexandra Phillips are South East MEPs.
The Brexit Party’s Phillips, 35, alongside the Greens’, 33.
BREXIT PARTY — ANN WIDDECOMBE
SHE’S back! The former Tory Minister, 71, has returned to politics with a bang as an MEP for the South West.
After saying she had retired from politics in 2010, Ann, starred in Strictly and other TV shows.
Then, a few weeks ago, she joined Nigel Farage’s party — telling her former party they faced “carnage” over Brexit.
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