Mike Greene’s narrow defeat to Labour’s Lisa Forbes this morning has served to ignite the eurosceptic party for an assault on Westminster – with the Brexit Party sifting through 3,000 potential candidates for a snap general election. The Brexit Party had hoped to secure its first MP following a landslide victory in the European elections. But Mr Farage’s party came in second, losing to Labour by just two percent of the votes.
Despite the loss, the Brexit Party delivered a huge blow to both Labour and the Tories, who lost 17 and 25 percent of the vote respectively.
Having pushed the main two parties to the sidelines, Mr Farage said his party “are ready to fight a full-scale general election campaign”.
The Brexit Party is set to hold a rally at Birmingham’s NEC at the end of the month to develop a manifesto to take on the Tories and Labour in 2022, or earlier if a snap election is called.
The party has already vetted 200 prospective MPs, with hundreds more lined up for interviews, according to the Daily Telegraph.
A party insider said: “We voted over 200 candidates but only 70 stood as MEPs so we already have very good people ready to stand.”
The news comes as the Queen risks being pulled into a "terrible conflict" over Brexit, after a Tory leadership contender is considering adjourning Parliament, something that requires the Queen’s permission, to force through a no deal Brexit.
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Nigel Farage says his Brexit Party are 'ready to fight' in a general election (Image: Getty)
10.21am update: Boris Johnson's court case 'should be thrown out'
A lawyer for Boris Johnson, the frontrunner in the Tory leadership race, told London's High Court today that an attempt to prosecute himfor allegedly lying about Brexit should be thrown out.
Last month a judge said Mr Johnson must appear in court over allegations he lied about Brexit by stating Britain would be £350 a week better off outside the EU.
At a judicial review hearing at the High Court, the Brexiteer's lawyer Adrian Darbishire said the judge at Westminster Magistrates' Court in May had either erred in law or provided the wrong legal test in allowing the case to go ahead.
Mr Johnson's lawyers said in a court document: "For the avoidance of doubt, it is denied by the Claimant that he acted in any way improperly or dishonestly. Public debate about the accuracy or otherwise of the £350m continues to this day."
10.04am update: Brexit Party surge in Peterborough 'a BOOST to Boris Johnson and no deal'
The Brexit Party’s success in the Peterborough by-election may shock the next Conservative Party leader into pursuing a hard Brexit to avoid Nigel Farage’s party overtaking them in popularity, an expert said.
David Hearne, a researcher for the Centre for Brexit Studies at Birmingham City University, believes the growing popularity of the Brexit Party in Peterborough will place more pressure on the Conservatives to “defeat” the threat of Mr Farage.
Mr Hearne told Express.co.uk: “Peterborough is significantly more pro-Brexit than the UK average, and the by-election was always likely to be fertile ground for Farage, particularly given lower turnout.
“A Brexit Party surge will boost the leadership chances of Boris Johnson, who will argue that he is best placed to defeat Farage.
“I don’t think it makes Brexit more likely though as Parliament remains opposed to leaving with no deal.
“However the Tories will be desperate to avoid a general election given the Brexit Party's popularity with their voters.
“MPs are likely to try to challenge any attempt to force the UK to leave the EU with no Withdrawal Agreement.
“Expect then the prospect of another referendum to try and ‘settle’ this issue and hence another Article 50 extension request to the EU come October - regardless of who becomes Prime
