Nigel Farage has turned down an 11th-hour electoral pact offer from the Conservatives, according to reports.
Boris Johnson suggested the Tories could put up “paper candidates” in Labour-held seats and do minimal campaigning.
This would give the Brexit Party a stronger chance of winning in Leave-supporting areas.
But the deal was reportedly rejected by Mr Farage – who wanted the Tories to step aside entirely in the constituencies.
He also feared it would leave the Brexit Party with just 40 target seats.
The talks broke down on Tuesday and the deadline to nominate candidates arrives at 4pm today.
Mr Johnson’s final offer came after after the Brexit Party withdrew its own candidates from all 317 seats currently held by Conservatives, the Telegraph reports.
Mr Farage described this as the first step towards building a “leave alliance”.
(Image: Ian Forsyth)
But the Brexit Party leader remains under pressure to withdraw even more candidates.
The Prime Minister has insisted voting Conservative is the “only way” to get Brexit done.
Mr Farage has said he will field candidates in every Labour-held seat – in a move that could hamper Tory efforts to win a majority.
(Image: Christopher Furlong)
A Brexit Party source said: “At every election the Tories have upwards of 100 paper candidates.
“If this offer was made it was an offer of the status quo, in in other words, no offer at all.
“It looks like an attempt to portray the Brexit Party and Nigel Farage as unreasonable, despite the huge concessions that we have made, both on a policy and on the unilateral decision not to stand in the 317 Tory held seats.
“If the Tories are serious then this isn’t the way to show it.”
