Nigel Farage hints at alliance with Boris Johnson to 'defend Brexit legacy'

Nigel Farage has claimed more than 10 Conservative MPs could be ready to form a new political "insurgency" and has suggested joining forces with Boris Johnson.

The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader made the suggestion following Johnson's resignation as a Tory MP on Friday, amid claims he was forced out by an investigation into his involvement in Partygate.

In a scathing 1,000 word resignation letter, Johnson took a swing at the Tories under Rishi Sunak's leadership and claimed there is a "witch-hunt under way, to take revenge for Brexit and ultimately to reverse the 2016 referendum result".

Farage suggested that other Conservatives could follow suit, hinting at the possibility of a new political alliance with Johnson at the fore.

The GB News presenter told the channel: "If he wants to defend his Brexit legacy, I want to defend my Brexit legacy too.

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"Would there be a possibility of a new coming together on the centre-right? It would be Boris Johnson, there would be other MPs that would join in with this as well."

Farage added: "I have discussed it with people very close to him and around him."

He added that he doesn't think Johnson has "any future in the Conservative Party, whatsoever", and that "gifting" his seat of Uxbridge and South Ruislip to Labour will "be seen to be doing damage to the party".

Commenting on the Tory Party's turmoil on the BBC's Sunday with Laura Kuenssberg show, Farage said Johnson's only hope of staying in politics is to "be a part of some sort of centre-right realignment".

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The Brexiteer claimed the "gap for another insurgency is actually bigger than it was 10 years ago," referring to the political pressure from UKIP and Tory backbenchers that led to David Cameron calling an EU referendum.

He added: "Is Johnson somebody who would want to be part of a new attempt to break the mould of British politics, or would he rather be on the after-dinner speaking circuit?"

Asked if any Tory MPs had told him they'd like to fill a "gap in the political market", Farage said: "More than before, I think there are quite a lot of Conservative MPs right now who know they are going to lose their seats.

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"The Red Wallers know they’re going to lose their seats as it is running as Conservatives, and if there was a coming together on the centre-right, which is where the gap is, I think quite a few would."

He went on: “I think it needs to be more than just me, you know? You can have one person leading a party into a European election or something like that. A general election, you’ve got to have a range of talents."

Later on the show, when asked if he believed Farage that some new political force could be about to emerge, former Tory leader Michael Howard said: "Nigel is making mischief, which he’s very, very good at."