Lord Heseltine warned Tory leadership hopefuls against moving “closer” to Nigel Farage, labelling it a “very dangerous position”. The former Deputy Prime Minister also claimed Conservative voters who switched to Liberal Democrats in the European elections will “not be coming back” if a Tory leader becomes a “mini Farage”. Lord Heseltine told BBC News: “The problem for any new leader is that if they are to have a prospect of making progress and winning a General Election they have to unite the party, The temptation will be for the debate to be how close do we get to Mr Farage. The truth is the closer they get to Mr Farage the more the haemorrhage to the centre of politics will compensate for that. So trying to out Farage Farage is a very dangerous position.

“There are five million Conservatives who voted to Remain, and they in very large measure will have moved to the Lib Dems over the course of this Euro election, or to other splinter parties.

“They’re not coming back if there is a position of a Conservative leader trying to pretend to be a mini Farage.

“That’s the danger.”

Theresa May this morning announced her decision to quit as leader of Conservative Party on June 7, with her voice breaking as she insisted she had “done her best” – but admitted it had not been good enough.

The closer they get to Mr Farage the more the haemorrhage to the centre of politics will compensate

Lord Heseltine

After almost three years in office bogged down by Brexit, the Prime Minister met with Sir Graham Brady, chairman of the powerful Conservative 1922 Committee, with an insider they had urged her to stay as PM pending while Tories pick a new leader.

Mrs May is likely to remain in office during a Conservative Party leadership election lasting about six weeks.

Afterwards, in a statement in which she was close to tears, with husband Philip looking on, she said: “It is and will always remain a matter of deep regret to me that I have not been able to deliver Brexit.”

Scottish First Minister Nicola Sturgeon tweeted: “Her departure will not solve the Brexit mess that the Tories have created.

“Only putting the matter back to the people can do that.

“Given current circumstances, it also feels deeply wrong for another Tory to be installed in Number 10 without a General Election.”

Boris Johnson warned the only way to get a good Brexit deal is to “prepared for a no deal” during an economic conference in Switzerland today.

He said: “We will leave the EU on October 31, deal or no deal. The way to get a good deal is to prepare for a no deal.”

But despite this warning, Mr Johnson insisted Britain can still forge a “fantastic free trade relationship” with the bloc after it leaves the European Union.

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