Andy Street: Brexit Party success is staring us in the face

Andy Street said the Conservatives were being "given a message" by voters across the Black Country unhappy by the Government's inability to deliver Brexit.

He said the parliamentary gridlock had played into the hands of Mr Farage's Brexit Party, who he expects to to "do very well" when voters head to the polls on Thursday.

It came as a new poll showed the Brexit Party topping the polls in the West Midlands with 40 per cent of the vote – four times the figure for the Tories.

Mr Street said: "It would be naive to think that the Brexit Party are not going to have success – of course they will have success.

"It is staring us in the face and I am not surprised. I did lots of campaigning in the local elections across the Black Country, I've knocked on lots of doors and people have given us a message.

"They said they had told the Government what was required and they expected it to be delivered. I expect Brexit to be delivered. The will of the people has to be honoured.

"If you look at the local elections, in Dudley and Walsall people voted for Conservative candidates because they were able to distinguish between an election about Brexit, and an election about local issues.

"The electorate is able to see the different types of election, and in this one coming up, where Brexit will be the dominant issue, I am expecting to see the Brexit Party doing very well."

On his own party's chances, he added: "We are not expecting to do well, but I am certain that the Conservative Party will bounce back when it comes to the much broader issues, such as the leadership of the country as a whole."

Mr Street said he hoped that Brexit would be "settled quickly so we can get on with the other issues which are critical to the future of our region".

"We have pushed hard for the West Midlands Industrial Strategy," he said. "I want this Brexit issue solved so we can focus on things like that."