Nigel Farage brings Brexit Party tour to Colchester

Hundreds of the party’s supporters gathered at the Jobserve Community Stadium on Monday evening for the launch event of its Brexit Party Conference Tour.

READ MORE: Hundreds gather for Brexit Party rally in Colchester

The controversial political leader arrived on stage to a standing ovation from the crowd, where he addressed questions on whether his party would be willing to do a pact with the Prime Minister’s Conservative Party.

Around 700 people are believed to have attended the rally

He said the party, which has now approved 625 of its parliamentary candidates across the country, was ready to fight the next election if Johnson insisted on bringing Theresa May’s Brexit deal back to the table with the Northern Irish backstop removed.

Speaking to the Gazette after the conference Farage said: “It really depends on what events are. We are living through the most unpredictable times in British politics.

“I have made it clear if they go for a clean Brexit we will support them.

“It will depend what the polling is saying and if Boris thinks he cannot win without us then he will talk to us.

“If he sticks to his idea at the moment of rehashing Theresa May’s deal without the backstop - we will be his worst enemies.”

One of the constituencies where the party has not yet announced its candidate is Clacton, which had the country’s first UKIP MP between 2014 and 2017.

Farage said there were a “few people” who wanted to take on the challenge, but effectively ruled himself out of running against Conservative Giles Watling in the coastal constituency.

He said: “I do not think it will be me.

“It is a big leave majority in Clacton with a remain MP. There are a few people who want the Clacton constituency.”

Before the rally kicked off, protestors from Colchester People’s Assembly and Colchester Stand Up To Racism held a demonstration.

Protestors outside the Jobserve Community Stadium

Tina McKay, Labour’s parliamentary candidate for Colchester, said: “We are here to demonstrate against the arrival of Nigel Farage and his politics of hate and division in Colchester.

“The town has always been a welcoming place to everybody and I think that is a proud tradition to have.”

Addressing the rally Farage said: “We were told by every single senior politician that whatever the result of the referendum they would respect the result and implement our will.

“Now, three and-a-half years on we have a parliament which is trying to stop Brexit.”

He added: “Boris, you cannot win without us.

“If you do the right thing and put the country first you will have our support.”

As well as party leader Farage, who has lost out at seven General Elections in his political career, the rally heard from party chairman Richard Tice.

The single-issue party has been criticised for its lack of policies outside of Euroscepticism but eastern region MEP Mr Tice insisted it had achieved a lot since it was set up 20-weeks-ago.

He said: “At our big vision rally we introduced some of our big policies.

“We must be doing something right as everything we announced there the Tories have copied.

“We said we would not send £39 billion to Brussels. We want to invest tens of billions into the regions which have been left behind.

“We want to invest in technology and have free wifi on all public transport systems.

“We said we wanted an online sales tax to help retailers which are struggling.

“We are having an impact and continuing to change politics for good.”

Wetherspoons boss Tim Martin also addressed crowds at the rally.

The conference also heard from eastern region MEPs Michael Heaver and June Mummery.