Brexit Party's Michael Heaver no longer standing for Castle Point

Michael Heaver, MEP for the East of England, made the announcement this afternoon in the wake of his party pledging to not contest 317 seats won by the Conservatives in 2017.

Mr Heaver said: "I now won’t be standing as a candidate in Castle Point. This is about securing Brexit, not individual ambition.

"Country must come before party.

"Not easy. But the correct decision.

"The Brexit Party has unilaterally created a Leave Alliance. Country first."

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage told his supporters in Hartlepool today that he had taken the decision because he feared that if they had run it would have led to a hung Parliament with significant gains for the Liberal Democrats.

The move is a significant boost for Boris Johnson amid warnings by Conservative ministers that they risked splitting the Brexit vote.

Mr Farage said: "We've decided ourselves that we absolutely have to put country before party and take the fight to Labour."

I now won’t be standing as a candidate in Castle Point.

This is about securing Brexit, not individual ambition.

Country must come before party. @Essex_Echo

— Michael Heaver MEP (@Michael_Heaver) November 11, 2019