Nigel Farage has committed the Brexit party to standing more than 600 candidates in the general election, dismissing Conservative warnings that this could split the pro-leave vote as “conceited arrogance”.

At a lavish campaign launch in central London, at which hundreds of new parliamentary candidates were paraded before the media, the party leader insisted he mainly hoped to take votes – and potentially seats – in strongly pro-leave Labour areas. “I think the Labour seats offer our best opportunity,” he said.

Farage will not stand for election, in what would have been his eighth attempt to win a Westminster seat. The decision has been criticised amid a tricky period for his new party.

Formally launched in January amid the deadlock of Theresa May’s premiership, the Brexit party took more than 30% of the vote in May’s European elections. But it has since slipped to as low as 10% in some polls, albeit with most showing it nearer 15%.

After speculation that the party could field only a couple of dozen candidates in Labour leave seats, Farage instead said it would contest every seat outside Northern Ireland, following the Conservatives’ dismissal of a pact based on pushing for a no-deal Brexit.

Addressing the noisy crowd of candidates at the launch event, Farage condemned calls from pro-leave Tories including Steve Baker and Jacob Rees-Mogg that the party should stand down to avoid allowing Labour into power. Read more

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