THE Brexit Party will not be standing in any Somerset constituencies at the next General Election.

Candidates had already declared their intentions to stand in Taunton Deane and Bridgwater and West Somerset - but Nigel Farage has today revealed the party will abandon those plans.

Speaking to supporters in Hartlepool he said the party would not stand in the 317 seats won by the Conservatives in the last election in 2017.

He said he had taken the decision because he feared that if they had run it would have led to a hung Parliament with significant gains for the Liberal Democrats.

The move is a significant boost for Boris Johnson amid warnings by Conservative ministers that they risked splitting the Brexit vote.

"We've decided ourselves that we absolutely have to put country before party and take the fight to Labour," Mr Farage.

The announcement leaves all the seats in Somerset without a Brexit Party candidate, as they are all held by Conservatives.

Alexander Waugh was set to be the Brexit Party candidate for Bridgwater and West Somerset, while Penny Rawson had put her name forward in Taunton Deane.

Mr Waugh said he had already seen lots of support on his campaign trial, but he was somewhat relieved because he doesn't consider himself a politician.

"I was very much geared up," he said.

"I was getting a lot of support.

"I think now I will go to help other candidates like Ann Widdecombe with her campaigning.

"I know a lot of people will be very disappointed. I won't be surprised if there are a lot of spoiled votes with people writing the Brexit Party on their ballots.

"I can't deny in some ways I am quite relieved because I am not a politician. I just thought sitting in my armchair complaining wasn't very good. I am a man of action.

"The main problem is we simply cannot trust Boris Johnson."