Boris Johnson news – live: PM rejects Trump call for Farage general election pact as head-to-head televised leaders debate announced
Follow all the latest developments
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.Boris Johnson has rejected Donald Trump's advice to form a Brexit pact with Nigel Farage in the general election.
He told Sophy Ridge of Sky News that he has "ruled out a pact with everybody because I don't think it's sensible to do that".
Mr Farage says if Mr Johnson does not agree to a “Leave alliance”, he has 500 candidates ready to stand across Britain. Polling guru John Curtice said it was likely the Brexit Party would harm the Tories more than Labour if candidates were fielded across the country.
The prime minister's refusal of a pact came as ITV announced plans for a televised election debate in which he and Jeremy Corbyn will go head-to-head.
Ken Clarke warns of danger in ‘purging’ moderates
The Tory veteran Ken Clarke – the Father of the House who is standing down at the election – has been complaining about the influence of the PM’s right-hand man Dominic Cummings.
“There are zealots inside Downing Street who are purging the party of its moderate one-nation members,” he told Sky News.
He was one of the 21 rebels who had the Tory whip removed. One of those who recently had the whip restored is Alistair Burt.
He has warned that the exodus of moderate Tories from parliament could put off Remain-voting Conservatives tempted to back the Lib Dems.
Burt has told The Times the “purge” might be “the canary in the coalmine” – suggesting the selection of new Tory candidates too slavishly loyal to the PM’s Brexit-at-all-costs stance.
Spoof Tory ad uses Cummings’ ‘poorer people’ remarks
The political campaign group Led By Donkeys is attempting to remind people of previous comments made by the prime minister’s strategy Dominic Cummings on “poorer people” and the NHS.
It’s playing a spoof Tory party ad on a van moving around Westminster, with Cummings saying: “I know a lot of Tory MPs and I am sad to say the public is basically correct. Tory MPs largely do not care about these poorer people. They don’t care about the NHS – and the public has kind of cottoned on to that.”
Will it give the Labour party some ideas?
Watch out for Boris Johnson’s ‘lies’, Tom Watson tells broadcasters
Labour’s deputy leader Tom Watson has written to broadcasters calling on them to challenge Boris Johnson’s “repeated attempts to rely on fake news, lies and distortions”.
Watson said the PM had a history of not telling the truth and urged TV and radio chiefs to be aware of this in their coverage of the countdown to the December 12 poll.
Dismiss by the Tories as an election stunt, Watson’s letter to the BBC’s director general and the chief executives of other major broadcasters refers to the “serious matter of honesty in public life and trust in politics”.
Brexit Party election campaign launch gets under way
The Brexit Party’s chair Richard Tice is speaking first at the party’s election launch in Westminster. He kicks off by attacking “this stinking rotten borough of Westminster”. Maybe they should have chosen somewhere else for the launch?
Tice seems to be sticking to policy stuff, leaving the teased announcement on candidate numbers to leader Nigel Farage.
He says the party could save money: they would scrap HS2, stop sending “billions” to the EU, and cut the “bloated” foreign aid budget.
Richard Tice at Brexit Party campaign launch
Ann Widdecombe accuses Boris Johnson of ‘rot’
Brexit Party MEP Ann Widdecombe, the former Tory MP, is speaking now.
She accuses Theresa May’s Tory government of “outright lies” and describes Boris Johnson’s “do or die” pledge to get out of the EU by 31 October as “rot”. She goes on to claim we now have “rotten, rotten politics”.
Widdecombe says she was “delighted” to join the Brexit Party and thinks they can make “a hugely significant difference” at this election.
Ann Widdecombe speaks at Brexit Party campaign launch
Nigel Farage says Labour Leave areas ‘among our top targets’
The Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage is speaking now.
“It’s November 1st and we’re still in the European Union - yet more broken promises,” he says Boris Johnson’s missed Halloween deadline.
Farage says Labour’s Brexit position is “a complete and utter betrayal” and says he will be campaigning in Labour areas.
“In terms of winning seats,” he says he views Labour Leave-voting areas “among our top targets”.
Nigel Farage wants PM to forge ‘Leave alliance’
The Brexit Party leader has turned his attention to Boris Johnson, the Tories and a possible “Leave alliance across this country”.
Farage says: “Boris tells us it’s a great new deal. It is not … quite simply, it is not Brexit.”
He attacks the prospect of “regulatory alignment” and says that under the withdrawal agreement bill “we will not be taking back in any way control of our law, our money or our borders”.
Farage continues: “It will not get Brexit done … I want to urge Boris Johnson to reconsider.
“Drop the deal because it’s not Brexit ... I also, am more than willing to compromise my position.
“If Boris wanted to say he wanted to go down the route of a free trade deal … if Boris was to go along with that I would view that as being a totally reasonable position.”
Nigel Farage at The Brexit Party launch
BREAKING: Farage threatens to contest ‘every seat’ if PM doesn’t agree to deal – and says 500 candidates are ready
“I believe the only way to solve this is to build a Leave alliance … If it was done, Boris Johnson would win a very big majority.
If Johnson doesn’t agree to an alliance, Farage says “we will contest every single seat in England, Scotland and Wales.”
“Please don’t doubt that we are ready … Next Monday we have 500 candidates to coming to London and they will all be signing their candidate forms that day.”
Farage claims some at No 10 want to forge alliance
Our own correspondent Benjamin Kentish asks Nigel Farage what conversations he and his party have had with Boris Johnson and people at No 10.
“We have not spoken formally to anybody about this,” he says. “My understanding is there are some within the inner sanctum that think this is absolutely necessary, there are others who think it’s the last thing they would ever do.”
Asked if he is standing to become a MP somewhere, Farage says he will reveal that in “the next few days”, describing the matter as a “distraction” right now.
He says he won’t want any “silly, wild predictions” about how many seats his party could win.
Farage suggests electoral pact would mean contesting only 150 Labour seats
Nigel Farage has finished up answering questions. Before bringing his launch event to an end, The Brexit Party leader said: “There’s two weeks to construct a Leave alliance – and it needs to be done.”
He may have called Boris Johnson on to start a new negotiation for a Canada-style free trade agreement, but he must know his offer of a “Leave alliance” if the PM ditches his own Brexit deal is certain to be rejected.
So how many Brexit Party candidates will actually stand?
Farage said there were 500 candidates ready to sign the relevant forms and stand across the country.
But back in August Farage claimed: “The Brexit Party has 635 men and women from all walks of life who are prepared to fight a general election.”
If Johnson were to make the highly unlikely move of agreeing to Farage’s offer of an electoral pact, Farage said he wanted a free run in up to 150 mainly Labour seats that the Tories have never won.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments