Nigel Farage challenges Jeremy Corbyn to a debate

Nigel Farage has challenged Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn to a debate ahead of the May 23 European Parliament elections. 

The Brexit Party frontman said voters were ‘confused’ about Labour’s position on leaving the EU. 

Opinion polls have shown the two parties battling for first place in the hastily arranged ballot. 

Speaking to Sky’s Sophy Ridge today Mr Farage said five million Labour voters had supported Leave, hinting they could be poised to back him instead.

He said: ‘I would love between now and polling day to have a debate with Jeremy Corbyn about this because people are very confused about what Labour are standing for.

‘The significance of Thursday’s vote is we saw the first cracks in the Labour vote. 

‘The Labour parliamentary party are very, very, Remain, but there are 5million Labour voters out there who voted Leave, particularly in the Midlands, the North and South Wales. 

‘I think that we’ve clearly done very well as a new party. We’ve done well with the UKIP vote, that’s almost disappeared, we’ve done well with the Conservative vote.’

No debates are currently planned ahead of the European Parliament elections. 

Mr Farage challenged Labour leader Jeremy Corbyn (pictured in Manchester on Friday) to a debate as he said voters were ‘confused’ about the party’s Brexit positoin 

Mr Farage appeared in TV clashes during the 2015 general election campaign, including with major party leaders David Cameron and Ed Miliband. 

Discussing his party’s campaign, Mr Farage said: ‘I think if they push forward with this it will be seen as a coalition of politicians against the people and I think millions of people would give up on both Labour and the Conservatives.

‘This would be the final betrayal. If May signs up to this, I can’t see the point of the Conservative party even existing. What’s it for?

‘The two-party system doesn’t work, they serve no one but themselves and I believe if ever there was a moment where that two-party structure would break down, that’s now.’ 

Asked whether his former party UKIP is a racist party, or at risk of becoming one, Mr Farage said: ‘I think that it has attracted individuals that I would never have allowed.’ 

‘Twenty-six years of my life I was with UKIP, I was the leader, the chairman, the national organiser,’ he said. 

Mr Farage (pictured this morning) said he would ‘love between now and polling to have a debate with Jeremy Corbyn about this because people are very confused about what Labour are standing for’

The Brexit Party leader warned of public fury if Mr Corbyn struck a deal with Theresa May (pictured at church today) 

‘For me, leaving UKIP was a difficult thing to do, but now frankly it’s past its sell by date. It’s done, it’s gone.’

Labour’s John McDonnell today accused the PM of ‘bad faith’ following newspaper reports about cross-party Brexit talks. 

Asked on BBC One’s Andrew Marr Show if he trusted Theresa May, Mr McDonnell replied: ‘No, sorry.

‘Not after this weekend when she’s blown the confidentiality I had and I actually think she’s jeopardised the negotiations for her own personal protection.

‘We are negotiating with Theresa May’s team as requested. 

‘Whilst we’re gaining an understanding of our different positions and where we can reach some compromise, in the wings, if you like, are all the leadership candidates virtually threatening to tear up whatever deal that we do.

‘It’s trying to enter into a contract with a company that’s going into administration and the people who are going to take over are not willing to fulfil that contract. We can’t negotiate like that.’