'Disappointment' at Brexit Party's election decision to withdraw from Conservative seats
The Brexit Party's General Election candidates for Bury St Edmunds and West Suffolk say they are 'disappointed' at the decision not to contest the 317 seats won by the Conservatives in 2017.
Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage has said he has 'decided to put country before party and not oppose Boris Johnson'.
He said the party will 'target Labour and Remainer MPs' in the December 12 election.
Businessman John Riches was the Brexit Party candidate for West Suffolk.
He said: "We were offering the electorate a real difference on someone to vote for and a lot of them have been quite excited by that.
"Now that has been denied.
"It isn't how I feel about not being able to stand, it's the people we've been promising this vote to - that's where I'm disappointed.
"It seems a one way agreement. We just took to agreeing not to do any of the 317 seats but with no concessions coming our way."
He said they will support Brexit Party candidates still standing in other seats such as Ipswich.
The Brexit Party's candidate for Bury St Edmunds was Dr Edmund Fordham.
He said: "I am of course disappointed personally by this decision.
"We had a full 'road-show' of public meetings planned and were fully prepared to mount a serious campaign.
"I do understand however where Nigel Farage is coming from: the prevention of another hung Parliament with Corbyn in Downing Street and a Remain alliance holding the balance of power.
"The Brexit Party has put country before party. We look for the Tories to act similarly."
It follows last week's decision by Liberal Democrat Helen Korfanty to step aside in the battle for the Bury St Edmunds constituency to allow Green candidate Dr Helen Geake to 'run uncontested by another Remainer'.
Others who have declared they will run for the Bury seat are independent Liam Byrne, Conservative Jo Churchill, who has won the seat twice, independent Paul Hopfensperger and Labour's Cliff Waterman.
Contesting West Suffolk are the Green Party's Donald Allwright, Conservative Matt Hancock who is defending the seat, Labour's Claire Unwin and Liberal Democrat Elfreda Tealby-Watson.
