Brexit Party MEP says she’s not voting in general election after Farage cull

Brexit Party MEP Alexandra Phillips has said she will not vote in the general election as Nigel Farage has stood down her party's candidate in her constituency. Picture: BBC - Credit: BBC

MEP Alexandra Phillips has said she has been ‘disenfranchised by my own party’ and will not be voting in the election now that there is no Brexit Party candidate in her constituency.

She said that “the choice is taken away from me” after party leader Farage stood down 317 candidates over fears of splitting the Brexiteer vote.

Phillips compared Farage’s move to having to “sever a limb” to save Brexit, but said she is one of “millions” whose first choice party is now not on the ballot.

WATCH: Nigel Farage ‘bottles it’ as he agrees not to contest 317 seats held by the ToriesSpeaking to BBC’s Victoria Derbyshire show, the MEP for South East England said: “I’m a Brexit Party MEP, I’m hardly going to cast my vote for a rival party, I don’t back Boris Johnson’s deal, so the choice is taken away from me in my own constituency.

“So I’m going to be one of millions, I assume, who will also find that in terms of first choice party they’re not going to be on the ballot paper.”

She tweeted that the decision not to vote “breaks my heart” and said: “I have been disenfranchised by my own party.”

Phillips denied the Brexit Party was asking its potential voters to vote for the Conservatives.

She said: “It’s up to voters how they wish to vote.

“I’m not going to turn around and say ‘vote for this party, vote for that party’ – I would always say ‘vote for my own party’ which in certain seats can’t happen now.”

She added: “So whether people now abstain from voting, or vote for the Conservatives or vote for whomever they wish, that is entirely up to them, essentially what we have done is try and manage the electoral threat of those who want to reverse Brexit altogether.”

Denying that Farage supports Boris Johnson’s withdrawal agreement as it stands, she said that Farage has been “reassured” that Boris Johnson heading towards a “clean break Brexit”.

She said Farage made the move in order to prevent “50 or 60” Liberal Democrat MPs, which she termed “the greatest electoral threat to Brexit”.

She added: “So he’s essentially had to sever a limb in some respects.”