Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has accused the Conservative Party of “conceited arrogance” for rejecting his offer of an election pact.

Speaking as he unveiled a slew of his party’s candidates for the 12 December poll, Mr Farage described how he had “tried my best” over recent months to “build a patriotic Brexit alliance in this country”.

The former UKIP leader has repeatedly told Boris Johnson he would shrink the scale of the Brexit Party’s ambitions at the upcoming election – by standing in fewer seats – if the prime minister supported a “clean break” from the EU; otherwise known as a no-deal Brexit.

However, Mr Johnson has ruled out a pact with the Brexit Party, with Mr Farage now planning to run candidates in more than 600 constituencies in 38 days’ time.

Responding to recent attacks on the Brexit Party and himself by leading Conservatives, Mr Farage told a campaign event in Westminster: “We now have but 10 days to go until the close of nominations and the clock is ticking.

“It would appear that far from even attempting to embrace this offer – which is sincere and genuine – that the Conservative Party, indeed, want to shut down the argument.”

Mr Farage’s mention of leading Tory Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg, the Leader of the House of Commons, prompted boos from the audience.

Mr Rees-Mogg had earlier warned the long-time eurosceptic was in danger of snatching “defeat from the jaws of victory” over the UK’s departure from the EU; with some Conservatives fearing the Brexit Party could drain votes from Leave supporters away from them in key seats and allow Labour to win power.

“Jacob Rees-Mogg, who I like personally, said this morning the Brexit Party should ‘stand aside and leave it to the Conservatives’,” Mr Farage said.

“What kind of conceited arrogance is this that we’re seeing from a party who, without the Referendum Party moving them in the 1990s on the euro, without UKIP forcing them into giving a referendum, and without the Brexit Party will never deliver Brexit.

“There will be no Brexit without the Brexit Party, of that I’m certain.”

He added: “They say that we will split the vote, but we won’t split the vote – because we will be the only people actually offering Brexit; leaving the EU and its institutions.”

Mr Farage attacked Mr Johnson’s Brexit deal as “a sellout” and said: “He’s now put that treaty back before us in this general election and he says ‘vote for this and we will get Brexit done’.

“Now that is a very tempting slogan on a public who, after three-and-a-half-years of this process, have – in many cases – just about had enough.

“But, the problem is, it doesn’t get Brexit done. All it does is take us into another three years of agonising negotiations.”

Mr Farage claimed “too much” of the conversation concerned the Brexit Party and the Conservatives.

“It seems to me that the media and everyone else has forgotten the fact that five million Labour voters voted Brexit and have now been betrayed by the Labour Party,” he added.

Mr Farage revealed at the weekend he won’t himself stand as a candidate in the general election, but will instead tour the country campaigning for the Brexit Party.

He said: “I want the country in this election to have a genuine choice, I want the country to know the sheer extent of Labour betrayal, I want the country to know this new EU treaty is not Brexit and that if it goes through we will never get independence in our nation.”

Earlier, Brexit Party chairman Richard Tice did not deny reports he had been offered the chance to stand as a Conservative candidate in the Tory safe seat of Rutland.

“Someone made a suggestion,” Mr Tice told Sky News, but added: “I’m not for sale.”

Responding to the interview, former Brexit minister and Conservative MP Steve Baker posted on Twitter: “I’ve always believed @TiceRichard would make a great Conservative MP. Easily at minister of state level already.

“Looking how he reacted in your interview, I think he thinks so too.”

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