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.

Related Stories
‹
Neglected Heartland Seen as Key to Brexit-Dominated Election
In Hartlepool, a tough, proud English port town whipped by bitter North Sea winds, people have long felt ignored by politicians in far-off London. But not anymore. Political parties in Britain’s Brexit-dominated December election are battling fiercely to win Hartlepool and places like it: working-class former industrial towns with voters who could hold the key […]
Johnson Seeks UK Election Bid as Political Foes Push Back
Prime Minister Boris Johnson kept up his push Thursday for an early general election as a way to break Britain’s Brexit impasse, as lawmakers moved to stop the U.K. leaving the European Union next month without a divorce deal. Already dealt stinging defeats this week from his opponents in Parliament, Johnson suffered a personal blow […]
Germany Votes Sunday for a New Government That Will Shape Europe’s Response to an Assertive Trump
German voters go to the polls Sunday to elect a new parliament that will determine how the country is run for the next four years.
On the Porch: A Conversation with Braxton Winston
This Week: Braxton Winston served as a Charlotte City Council At-Large member from 2017-2023 and served as Mayor Pro Tem. Braxton learned during his tenure that communities thrive when their workforces thrive. As the next Commissioner of Labor, he will support North Carolina’s working families and businesses by: ensuring that all workers go to work in a safe environment, advocating for all people to be paid fairly under NC labor laws, and defending workers rights wherever they find work. Braxton is running for Commissioner of Labor to make North Carolina the #1 state for business and workers. Learn more at votebraxton.com
Ahead of the 2024 Election, Here's How to Read a Public Opinion Poll
Since we're about to see a lot of them: how should we interpret the results of a public opinion poll? Expert pollster Tom Jensen weighs in.
Top Stories of 2022: New Faces, New Districts and Busted Trends in Midterm Elections
The 2022 midterm election was good for Democrats nationally, good for Republicans statewide - and defined locally by several key retirements.
Early Voting Turnout High in Orange County, But Slightly Lower Than 2018
Early voting turnout was high this year, both statewide and locally in Orange County - but what that means for the outcome is anyone's guess.
In North Carolina's U.S. Senate Race, Turnout Will Likely Decide
In North Carolina's Senate race, polls show Cheri Beasley and Ted Budd virtually tied - which means it'll likely come down to turnout.
Britain’s Boris Johnson Resigning as PM Amid Scandal
Written by DANICA KIRKA, JILL LAWLESS and SYLVIA HUI Prime Minister Boris Johnson announced his resignation Thursday amid a mass revolt by top members of his government, marking an end to three tumultuous years in power in which he brazenly bent and sometimes broke the rules of British politics. Months of defiance ended almost with […]
Fishing, Northern Ireland: EU, UK Back to Brexit Wrangling
Written by RAF CASERT and JILL LAWLESS It was late on Christmas Eve last year when the European Union and Britain finally clinched a Brexit trade deal after years of wrangling, threats and missed deadlines to seal their divorce. There was hope that now-separated Britain and the 27-nation bloc would sail their relationship toward calmer […]
›