Nigel Farage tells Eddie Mair he will not refund dropped Brexit Party candidates

11 November 2019, 17:39 | Updated: 11 November 2019, 17:43

Nigel Farage told Eddie Mair "of course" he will not refund the dropped Brexit Party candidates, after deciding not to stand his party against the Conservatives in 317 seats.

Eddie Mair asked: "Would you refund the money would-be candidates have spent?"

Farage said that he "warned them all, face to face, that if circumstances changed" then there might be a different "situation".

He said: "I'm sorry to the people that have put their time and their money on the line."

Eddie then asked: "How much money how much money have you raked in with these non-refundable £100s?"

Farage told Eddie that 3000 people applied to be candidates.

Eddie asked if they were going to be recompensed.

Nigel Farage said: "Of course not. We're a political party set up to deliver a proper Brexit. We have reset the political agenda this year in the most astonishing way."

Eddie replied: "Well, it is astonishing, isn't it? Last week, you took their money and, last week, you said they would stand for your party and this week you changed your mind?"

Eddie pressed him further on his "accountability" to the people who have given him money.

Farage responded: "People who have given me money believe that the Brexit Party is here to deliver Brexit and that is what we're going to fight our damnedest to do."

Eddie said: "You said they would stand last week in the face of everyone saying this was madness. You said no, no, 600 candidates, unless Boris Johnson backs down, he didn't back down. You can't blame the EU for this, you can't blame Theresa May for this. Why don't you open your cheque book and refund the money?"

Eddie later asked: "Are you going to bottle refunding their money as well?"

Farage replied: "I'm not going to refund their money. They put their faith in me to do the right thing and the vast majority of them, this afternoon, agree with what I've done."