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A8 WORLD NEWS
Tuesday 12 November 2019
Brexit Party shifts tactics, won't challenge Tories in vote

By JILL LAWLESS but financially stressed Na-
GREGORY KATZ tional Health Service — a
HARTLEPOOL, England (AP) constant theme of his cam-
— Brexit Party chief Nigel paign.
Farage changed course Over the weekend, sev-
Monday, announcing that eral right-wing British news-
his party would not chal- papers urged Farage to
lenge Conservative candi- change tack, saying there
dates in nearly half of the was a risk that Britain might
U.K.'s districts, a tactical not leave the EU if the La-
move that may make it bour Party comes to power.
easier for pro-Brexit forces On the campaign trail,
to prevail in the Dec. 12 Johnson told reporters he
election. was "glad that there's a rec-
Farage said his party will ognition" that only his party
not put forward any can- can get Brexit done. The
didates in 317 seats that prime minister said he had
the Conservatives won in not discussed any election
the last election so as not deal with Farage.
to split the pro-Brexit vote. Earlier in the campaign,
The move should boost the Brexit party leader Nigel Farage speaks during an event as part of the General Election campaign Farage had been strong-
chances that Prime Minister trail, in Hartlepool, England, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. ly critical of Johnson's EU
Boris Johnson's Conserva- Associated Press divorce deal — saying it
tives win a majority in an wasn't a real Brexit — but
early election that Johnson All 650 seats in the House of "I think this announcement which included a demand he softened his tone Mon-
sought to increase his Brexit Commons are up for grabs today prevents a second that he drop his Brexit di- day.
mandate. in the Dec. 12 election, referendum from happen- vorce deal. Farage said he had been
A Conservative major- the first December vote in ing," he said. "And that to Labour leader Jeremy Cor- encouraged by recent
ity would likely mean that nearly 100 years. Right now me, I think right now, is the byn on Monday called Far- comments from Johnson
Johnson's Brexit divorce the governing Conserva- single most important thing age's decision "a Trump that rule out extending the
deal would be passed by tives have 298 seats and in our country." alliance," saying it reflect- Brexit transition period be-
Parliament, clearing the Labour has 243. After three years of nego- ed a desire to please U.S. yond the end of 2020. He
way for Britain to leave the Farage has been under tiations and repeated de- President Donald Trump, said the plan now is "to take
European Union at the end huge pressure from Brexit lays, Britain is now sched- who had pushed publicly the fight to Labour," which
of January. supporters not to run candi- uled to leave the EU on for Farage and Johnson to he accused of betraying 5
Farage said he was putting dates in seats where there Jan. 31. unite in a pro-Brexit front. million of its supporters who
country before party by is a risk of splitting the Brexit Monday's move represent- "One week ago Donald had voted to leave the EU
unilaterally forming a "leave vote. ed a substantial change in Trump told Nigel Farage in the 2016 Brexit referen-
alliance" with the Conser- "If we field 600 candidates, tactics, for only last week to make a pact with Boris dum.
vatives at the expense of there will be a hung Parlia- Farage had threatened to Johnson," Corbyn tweeted. "The Conservative Party say
parties seeking to slow or ment," Farage said, warn- run against the Conserva- "Today, Trump got his wish." they want Brexit, but have
even stop Brexit. Those par- ing that might well lead tives in every seat in Eng- Corbyn also claimed the been taking that in a very
ties include the opposition to another referendum on land, Wales and Scotland "Trump alliance" would al- questionable direction. But
Labour Party, the anti-Brexit Britain's EU membership unless they agreed to team low profit-driven U.S. drug overnight the prime minis-
Liberal Democrats and the that could cancel Brexit al- up with his Brexit Party. companies to get a foot- ter signaled a change of
Scottish National Party. together. Johnson refused the offer, hold in Britain's beloved direction," Farage said.q

Austria's Kurz to launch coalition talks with Greens

By GEIR MOULSON Kurz's People's Party ers in Vienna.
PHILIPP JENNE emerged as by far the big- "Equally, we as the People's
Associated Press gest in parliament from an Party have clear positions
VIENNA (AP) — Austrian election in late September. on migration and security
conservative leader Sebas- The Greens, who have not policy, business location
tian Kurz announced Mon- previously been part of a and tax policy, for which
day that his party will en- federal government, saw we were elected."
ter coalition talks with the their support soar and re- The Greens already
environmentalist Greens. If turned to parliament after backed formal negotia-
negotiations succeed, they a two-year absence. tions on Sunday.
will likely produce a very Kurz acknowledged that Green leader Werner Ko-
different government from "creativity" will be needed gler said that "of course this
his previous alliance with to put together a coalition is a risk, but we want to at-
the far-right. with the Greens. tempt this step."
Kurz, 33, announced the "The Greens have strong The two parties have a
start of what he called a positions on the environ- combined 97 seats in Aus-
Sebastian Kurz head of the Austrian People's Party, OEVP, speaks "challenging process" of ment and climate that, in tria's 183-seat parliament.
to journalists during a press conference about the beginning of negotiations after lengthy part, are not easy for us, Kurz could have sought a
the coalition negotiations with the Austrian Greens in Vienna, exploratory talks. He but for which they were coalition with the center-
Austria, Monday, Nov. 11, 2019. wouldn't be drawn on how elected — we have to rec- left Social Democrats, who
Associated Press
long it would take. ognize that," he told report- also performed badly. q