The Brexit Party’s MEP for South East England launched a damning attack on Conservative MP James Cleverly over his party’s apparent willingness to enter political pacts in order to gain advantage. Ms Phillips let rip at both Mr Cleverly and the Tory party, going as far as to say that if the Tory party wanted to minimise the amount of choice voters have in the upcoming general election, then they should go to Venezuela.

The rant came just minutes after BBC Question Time had started.

It was in response to the audience’s first question: “Are pacts between parties and tactical voting just cheating the electorate?”

Ms Phillips replied: “Oh wow, well, this is the question I’ve been looking forward to because actually, do you know what Simon? I think pacts are such a disappointment.

“I think actually, every voter in this country should be able to have their first choice of candidate, and that parties should campaign on merit, on policies, not on black mail, not on fear.”

Host Fiona Bruce stepped in here and asked: “So, you must be very unhappy with your leader then?”

Ms Phillips replied: “I’m very disappointed in what’s happened but I want to give a bit of context…”

Ms Bruce again interjected, contending: “You’re very disappointed in Nigel Farage?”

Ms Phillips said: “I’m not disappointed in Nigel, I’m disappointed in the situation he’s found himself in.

JUST IN: BBC QT: Young Brexiteer shocks Remainers with impassioned plea

“Which I think is a result of this ongoing duopoly.

“There has been an operation, coming out of CCHQ, coming out of Downing Street – what is under the Tory tree this Christmas? Is it a peerage? Is it penance? Have you bee naughty or have you been nice?”

“They have been interfering in our selection of candidates, our placing of candidates, they have been incentivising people to step down, it has been interference on an industrial scale.

“They have been acting like feudal overlords, they think that suffrage is something that just applies to their party – what are they afraid of?

DON’T MISS

Jo Swinson preparing to demand ANOTHER election 
Nigel Farage ‘very angry’ as Lowe withdraws before election deadline
Boris to save high streets with rates cut after hearing Brexit voices

On saying this, she turned to Mr Cleverly, pointed her finger and said: “Leave us alone! If you can’t win on your own merits then really, you shouldn’t be a chairman of a party of this country, go to Venezuela, this is a multi-party state and you guys have to get used to that.”

Ms Phillips locked eyes with Mr Cleverly, with him losing the stare off.

After the tirade Ms Bruce said: “Well, we’ve certainly gone going haven’t we!”

Ms Phillips damning attack came amid reports that the Conservative Party was conceding offering Nigel Farage a peerage in order to ascend to the House of Lords.

A similar idea was floated three years ago, but was at the time rejected it.

However, according to The Sun, there had recently been an “arms-length” approach to the idea.

When Britain leaves the EU, Mr Farage will cease to be an MEP.

He has previously said that should his Brexit Party come to power, he would get rid of the upper chamber.

Sources close to Mr Farage say the reason for a peerage being handed to him might be an “attempt to buy him off”.

One ally told The Sun: “Westminster is obsessed with rank, position and titles but Nigel isn’t bothered by it.

“A couple of people in and around the current Downing Street circle have discussed it with him informally.

“But Nigel isn’t interested. He achieved his goal with the 2016 referendum result and would let that be known if a fully-fledged approach was made.”

Mr Farage had initially blasted members of the European Research Group for giving their backing to the Prime Minister’s new Brexit deal.

But, earlier this week, due to what he called a “shift of position”, the Brexit Party leader withdrew candidates from Tory safe seats.

Source: Read Full Article