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WORLD NEWS Saturday 2 November 2019

Brexit Party wants to team up with Tories; Johnson says no

By JILL LAWLESS financial obligations for up
Associated Press to three years while a new
LONDON (AP) — Nigel Far- trade relationship is negoti-
age, the minor-party lead- ated. The terms would also
er who played a major see Northern Ireland bound
role in Britain's decision to by EU trade and customs
leave the European Union, rules indefinitely to avoid
is trying to throw his weight checks on the border with
around again in the U.K.'s EU member Ireland that
Brexit-dominated election. could undermine both the
Farage on Friday piled the regional economy and
pressure on British Prime peace in Northern Ireland.
Minister Boris Johnson, say- The prime minister sought
ing his Brexit Party will run this early election to break
against Johnson's Conser- the political impasse over
vatives across the country Britain's stalled departure
in the Dec. 12 early elec- from the EU.
tion unless Johnson aban- Johnson had promised for
dons his divorce deal with months that the U.K. would
the EU. Farage spoke a day leave the 28-nation bloc on
after U.S. President Don- the scheduled date of Oct.
ald Trump barged into the 31 "come what may." He
British election campaign, Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage speaks to the media as he launches his party's manifesto ahead struck a divorce deal with
urging his friend Farage to of the upcoming General Election, in London, Friday, Nov. 1, 2019. the EU last month, but Par-
make an electoral pact Associated Press liament blocked his plan to
with Johnson's Conserva- the Conservatives, who are for Britain to leave the EU, divorce agreement would rush it into law in a matter
tives. Trump told Farage on vying with Farage for the said if Johnson agreed to make it impossible for Brit- of days. Amid the impasse,
the Euroskeptic politician's support of Brexit-backing abandon his deal, the Brex- ain to do a trade deal with last week the EU granted
own radio phone-in show voters. it Party would form a "non- the U.S. Britain a three-month Brexit
Thursday that he and John- Farage's party, which was aggression pact" with the The ability to strike new delay, setting a new Jan.
son would be "an unstop- founded earlier this year, re- Conservatives, standing trade agreements around 31 deadline.
pable force." jects Johnson's Brexit deal, aside from running against the world is seen by Brexit While the Conservatives
Johnson on Friday gently preferring to leave the bloc them in many areas. supporters as one of the have a wide lead in most
rebuffed Trump's sugges- with no agreement on fu- "I believe the only way to key advantages of leav- opinion polls, analysts say
tion and ruled out an elec- ture relations in what it calls solve this is to build a 'leave' ing the EU. Most econo- the election is unpredict-
toral pact with Farage. a "clean-break" Brexit. It alliance across this coun- mists, though, say trade able because Brexit cuts
"If I may respectfully say to holds seats in the European try," Farage said. "If it was deals with the U.S. and across traditional party loy-
all our friends around the Union's legislature but has done, Boris Johnson would other countries are unlikely alties. The Brexit Party also
world ... the only way to get none so far in Britain's Par- win a very big majority." to compensate for Britain's poses a threat to the main
this thing done is to vote for liament. Farage warned that if reduced commerce with opposition Labour Party in
us," Johnson told ITV News. Launching the Brexit Party's Johnson rejects the offer, the EU, which currently ac- traditionally Labour-sup-
"If you vote for any other election campaign on Fri- "we will contest every single counts for half of U.K. trade. porting post-industrial ar-
party, the risk is you'll just get day, Farage said Johnson's seat in England, Scotland Forecasters say a no-deal eas of Wales and northern
Jeremy Corbyn, the Labour deal "is not Brexit" because and Wales." Brexit would have an even England, which voted in
Party, dither and delay." it would mean continuing He said Johnson needs to more severe effect on the 2016 to leave the EU.
All 650 seats in the House of to follow some EU rules and make up his mind before U.K. economy and would On the other side of the
Commons are up for grabs holding years of negotia- the nominations for candi- hurt EU nations as well. divide, the centrist Liberal
in the election that is com- tions on future relations. dates close on Nov. 14. Purist Brexiteers such as Far- Democrats, who want to
ing more than two years "Boris tells us this is a great On the U.K. radio show age dislike the Brexit agree- cancel Brexit, are woo-
early, with winners to be new deal. It is not. It is a Thursday, Trump called ment struck by Johnson — ing pro-EU supporters from
chosen by Britain's 46 mil- bad old treaty. And simply, Johnson "fantastic" but also as they did a previous effort both the Conservatives
lion voters. If the Brexit Party it is not Brexit," Farage said. undermined him by claim- by his predecessor Theresa and Labour in Britain's big
runs in only a small number Farage, who played a key ing that "certain aspects" May —because it keeps the cities and liberal university
of seats, that would help role in the 2016 campaign of the prime minister's EU U.K. bound by EU rules and towns.q