Arron Banks said Nigel Farage has “shaped the Conservative Party in his own image” just days after the Brexit Party leader announced an election pact with Tories.
Speaking to an Oxford Union delegation the infamous political donor claimed “the Conservative Party is the Brexit Party” in reference to the Boris Johnson’s slide to the right.
Banks had urged Farage to stand down in constituencies with a Conservative MP, threatening to release a tactical voting app which would advise Brexiteers to “back Boris” in all but 40 seats where the Conservatives are “no hopers”.
Farage subsequently gave in to his requests in a move described by Labour as a “Thatcherite 1980s tribute act” that amounts to an “alliance with Donald Trump to sell out our country”.
.@Arron_banks on the influence of Nigel Farage: “What he’s done really is shape the Conservative Party in his own image. The Conservative Party is the Brexit Party” pic.twitter.com/DJf7n3P9Xe
— Oxford Union (@OxfordUnion) November 12, 2019
Brexit groundhoggery
Boris Johnson promised to end the “groundhoggery” of Brexit if the Conservatives win a majority at the General Election in his first keynote speech of the campaign.
The PM will say: “If we can get a working majority we can get Parliament working for you, we can get out of the rut. We can end the groundhoggery of Brexit…
“We face a historic choice. At this election the country can either move forwards with policies that will deliver years of growth and prosperity, or it can disappear into an intellectual cul-de-sac of far left Corbynism.
“We can honour the wishes of the people, or else we can waste more time, at the cost of a billion pounds per month, and have two more referendums, one on Scotland and one on the EU – an expense of spirit and a waste of shame, more political self-obsession and onanism.”
Corbyn-Sturgeon coalition
He urged undecided voters to “imagine waking up on Friday December 13 after the election to find the Corbyn-Sturgeon coalition in Downing Street”.
“They will ruin 2020 with two referendums, they will ruin the economy with out of control debt, they will put taxes up for everyone and instead of an Australian points system we’ll have uncontrolled and unlimited immigration.”
A YouGov survey for The Times suggested Mr Johnson had opened up a 14-point poll lead over Labour after Mr Farage’s decision to pull Brexit Party candidates from Tory-held seats.
Related: Former Conservative minister Gauke warns Tory majority will lead to ‘disastrous’ no-deal Brexit