ONE of the Brexit Party candidates in Swindon has told of his disappointment at being stood down from the general election.

The party’s leader Nigel Farage announced yesterday it would not contest any of the 317 seats held by the Conservatives.

It means Justin Stares, who was the candidate in South Swindon, and Leslie Willis, who was standing in North Swindon, no longer have any campaigning to do.

Mr Farage said yesterday: “The single most important thing in our country is stopping a second referendum.

“In a sense, we now have a Leave alliance.We have to put party before country and take the fight to Labour.”

After the announcement Mr Stares wrote on Twitter: “I’m disappointed not just for myself but especially for the Brexit supporters in Swindon who have now been denied the chance to change politics for good.

“For me, this was always about more than a single issue. I’ve been amazed by the goodwill I’ve received from my home town.”

Until the announcement, the Swindon candidates were critical of the Conservatives’ policy.

Mr Stares had said the Brexit Party offered voters the chance to reshape politics and criticised the main parties as “tired” and their leaders as “offering rehashed platitudes”.

Mr Willis posted on his Facebook page: “No other party is offering Brexit. Boris’s deal will keep us in the EU for years we need a clean-break Brexit and have democracy reinstated.”

Justin Tomlinson, the defending Conservative candidate for North Swindon, said: “It is welcome news that more and more people can see only Boris Johnson and the Conservatives can break the deadlock and deliver Brexit.”

The Labour challenger in South Swindon Sarah Church said: “This means that a vote for the Tories in Swindon is now a vote for Nigel Farage and his ongoing quest for an extreme and damaging Brexit.

"Farage and Johnson share a dream to parcel up and sell off our NHS and to crash us out of Europe. The only way now to block this unholy alliance is to back the Labour Party.”

Her Conservative opponent in South Swindon Robert Buckland said: “This is recognition of the fact the only way to get Brexit done is to vote Conservative.”

Kate Linnegar (Labour) and Andy Bentley (Green) are standing in North Swindon and Stan Pajak (Lib Dem) and Steve Thompson (Green) will contest South Swindon.