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Brexit Champion Farage Plans Party Relaunch, Sunday Express Says

Brexit Champion Farage Plans Party Relaunch, Sunday Express Says

(Bloomberg) -- Nigel Farage is planning to relaunch the Brexit Party following concerns that Boris Johnson is watering down his position on exiting the European Union, the Sunday Express reported.

The organization, probably to be renamed the Reform Party, intends to field a candidate in the next available special election, the newspaper said, without giving the source of the information. Senior Brexit Party figures are worried about a loss of direction for Johnson’s Conservatives and think he may go “soft on Brexit” to get a quick deal with the EU, the newspaper said.

The comeback by the vociferous Brexit campaigner follows speculation that Britain could crash out of the EU without a trade deal at year-end as talks between the two sides falter. Johnson is due to hold a call with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Monday aimed at accelerating the pace of Brexit talks.

On Friday, the U.K. government backed down on plans to impose full border controls immediately after Brexit in an attempt to avoid putting a heavier burden on businesses already reeling from Covid-19 disruption.

Farage’s future came into focus last week after he stepped down from his show on London-based radio station LBC, after facing criticism for his comments about the Black Lives Matter protests.

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