Robert Peston suggested the Brexit Party could make a majority win difficult for Boris Johnson as the party announced they will stand candidates to challenge Jeremy Corbyn’s Labour Party rather than the Conservatives. The Prime Minister is seeking to strengthen his parliamentary majority to be able to deliver Brexit but may still struggle despite Nigel Farage offering to recall 317 prospective MPs in seats the Tories won in 2017. The ITV Political Editor said: “It’s quite helpful for the Conservatives. Plainly, the Brexit Party not challenging the Conservative Party in seats currently held by the Conservatives makes it a bit easier for Boris Johnson in his core heartlands.

“But in order to get a majority, Boris Johnson needs to win seats currently held by Labour in the North East and the North West.

“The Brexit Party is saying it is going to contest those seats so there is a risk the pro-Brexit vote will be therefore split and that will be good for Labour.”

Mr Peston continued: “It’s better than a sharp poke in the eye for Boris Johnson but it doesn’t give him everything he needs and wants.

“The thing I have been pondering for some weeks now is how realistic it is for Boris Johnson that voters who for years have voted for Labour would vote Tory.”

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Despite the majority of northern constituencies having voted to Brexit, Labour voters tended to stick to their party in the 2017 general election – suggesting Mr Johnson may yet struggle to win over the support he needs to turn red seats to his party,

The ITV Political Editor added: “British politics is tribal and if you supported Labour all your life, it’s a bit like having supported Liverpool all your life or, in my case, Arsenal all your life.

“It’s quite hard to switch even when you feel you’re being provoked because you don’t like Jeremy Corbyn’s Brexit policies, for example.”

While dropping 317 candidates to enhance Boris Johnson’s chances, the Brexit Party on Monday confirmed they will be standing a candidate in the historical Labour seat of Sedgefield – a Labour hold since 1935 and the seat of former Prime Minister Tony Blair. 

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Dr David Bull, one of the party’s 29 MEPs, was announced as the candidate for the County Durham seat after previously putting his name forward for the safe Tory seat of Central Suffolk and North Ipswich.

Sedgefield voted by 59.44 percent to 40.56 percent to leave in the 2016 referendum, and the Brexit Party MEP is confident he can represent its residents better than either of the main parties.

Dr Bull told Express.co.uk: “This is not about how you’ve voted tribally, it’s not about left and right. It’s about right and wrong, and about which party will best represent you.

“We’re not a different version of the Conservative Party – we’ve got our own, distinct policies and we are so passionate about what we are doing here.”

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Dr Bull also urged the Conservative to reconsider standing a candidate in Sedgefield to return the favour for dropping over half Brexit Party prospective MPs to help Boris Johnson. 

He pointed out Hartlepool Tory candidate Ralph Ward-Jackson had withdrawn in the wake of Nigel Farage’s earlier announcement, saying he “did not did not want to split the Leave vote”. Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice is running for the seat.

And in Peterborough, Brexit Party candidate Mike Greene tweeted his Tory rival Paul Bristow similarly asking if he would “now do the honourable thing and step aside”.

Mr Bristow refused, replying: “I am not the enemy! Hope you enjoy the campaign.”

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