Jacob Rees-Mogg’s sister is to stand as a candidate for Nigel Farage’s new Brexit Party in the forthcoming European elections, it has emerged.
Annunziata Rees-Mogg, a journalist and former Conservative candidate, spoke after Mr Farage at the launch of the new party and pledged to make politicians “listen to what the people have said”.
Ex-Ukip leader Mr Farage said he wants to mount a “democratic revolution” to overturn the existing political order in Britain.
Ms Rees-Mogg repeatedly stood for the Tories before leaving political life several years ago, but said she decided to return as a result of the failure of Theresa May to deliver Brexit.
She said: “I joined the Conservative Party in 1984 and this is not a decision I have made lightly – to leave a party for which I have fought at every election since 1987, from Maggie Thatcher through to Theresa May.
“I know which one I’d rather have representing us now.”
The candidate went on: “At the point at which our prime minister will not listen, not only to her membership, but will not listen to the people of her country – 17.4 million of them – many of whom had never voted before but believed in bringing back control. I can’t sit by and let her do it.”
It was claimed before the 2010 elections that former Tory leader David Cameron asked Ms Rees-Mogg to shorten her name to “Nancy” on campaign literature out of fear that her name may make her appear out of touch – though her brother later claimed it was a joke.
Mr Farage launched his party’s campaign in Coventry and said it marked the start of the fightback against a career political class that had betrayed the Brexit referendum.
“I haven’t spent 25 years of my life doing that to simply roll over and to allow a career political class to betray that result without me fighting back. The fightback begins here,” he said.
“Our two-party system simply cannot cope with Brexit. Our two-party system has been exposed as being unfit for purpose. We have a parliament that is completely out of touch with our country. Politics is broken.
“Our task and our mission is to change politics for good.”
The prime minister confirmed earlier this week that the UK was going to have to take part in the 23 May European elections, which was a condition asked for by the EU in return for the government’s desire to delay Brexit.
Ms May told the House of Commons that the country could avoid the elections, three years after people voted to leave the EU, if MPs backed a withdrawal deal in the coming weeks.
