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Brexiters Won't Challenge Conservatives11/11 06:59
In a major shift, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage says his party will not
run against Conservative candidates in almost half of the U.K. seats available
in Britain's Dec. 12 election.
HARTLEPOOL, England (AP) -- In a major shift, Brexit Party leader Nigel
Farage says his party will not run against Conservative candidates in almost
half of the U.K. seats available in Britain's Dec. 12 election.
Farage said Monday that the party will not run in 317 Conservative-held
seats so it does not split the pro-Brexit vote, an announcement that should
boost the chances that Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Conservatives win a
majority.
Farage has been under huge pressure from Brexit supporters not to run
candidates in seats where there is a risk of splitting the Brexit vote.
Monday's move represents a major change in tactics, for only last week Farage
had threatened to run against the Conservatives in every race in the nation --
650 seats are up for grabs -- unless they agreed to team up with his Brexit
Party.
Johnson refused the offer, which included a demand that he drop his Brexit
deal, saying that the Conservatives aimed to win.
Farage said the party has "unilaterally" formed a Leave alliance to prevent
a coalition of parties that want to stay in the European Union from winning.
Over the weekend, several right-wing British newspapers urged Farage to
change tack, saying there was a risk that Britain might not leave the EU if the
Labour Party comes to power.
Labour has vowed to renegotiate the Brexit divorce deal with the EU, then
hold a new referendum for British voters to decide on whether to leave the bloc
on those terms or remain.
On the campaign trail, Labour and the Conservatives were using Armistice Day
to showcase their plans to improve the lot of veterans if they win the Dec. 12
election.
Johnson's party on Monday unveiled proposals to make it harder to bring
veterans to court over allegations of abuse that took place before the Human
Rights Act took force in 2000, and announced a series of measures to help
veterans get jobs.
Jeremy Corbyn's Labour Party said it would improve housing and work
conditions for veterans.
Also on Monday, Corbyn's foreign policy adviser, Emily Thornberry, raised
questions about Britain's nuclear deterrent when she told ITV it is not clear
that Corbyn as prime minister would use nuclear weapons if Britain is
threatened.
"It's impossible, I think, for any human to say whether they would be
prepared to kill millions," she said.
(KR)
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