General election 2019: Brexit Party will not stand in Tory seats
The Brexit Party has announced that it will not stand candidates in the 317 seats won by the Conservatives at the 2017 general election.
A European Union flag is seen behind a British Union Jack during an anti-brexit protest in London, Britain, January 7,2019/ Reuters
Party leader Nigel Farage said standing candidates across the country could increase the chances of another EU referendum taking place.
But he said the party would stand against all other parties - and focus on taking seats off Labour.
He had previously pledged to field more than 600 election candidates.
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He said Prime Minister Boris Johnson's commitment to strike a trade deal with the EU without "regulatory alignment" was a "huge change" in the Conservatives' approach to Brexit.
Conservative Party chairman James Cleverly welcomed the move, adding the Brexit Party had recognised the risk of "preventing a stable majority government".
