Nigel Farage: Tory manifesto resembles Ukip's document in 2015

The Brexit Party leader said he recognises much of the Conservative manifesto "because they're things that I have campaigned on for years".

Mr Farage, former leader of Ukip, was on the campaign trail on Sunday afternoon, visiting Seaham in County Durham.

He arrived alongside Julie Maughan, who is bidding to win the Easington constituency for the Brexit Party in next month's election.

Mr Farage, who wore a flat cap and a long brown coat, paid a visit to the Hat and Feathers pub and while there he posed with voters and enjoyed some "delicious" Doom Bar amber ale.

He told the PA news agency that he is happy to see the Tories "changing the agenda" by talking about immigration levels.

"I recognise much of the Conservative manifesto because they're things that I have campaigned on for years, such as hospital parking charges.

"Much of the manifesto was in fact in the Ukip 2015 manifesto, even recent ideas that I've announced like not exporting plastic waste for dumping in landfill in China or elsewhere, that's in there.

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"So, I'm pleased that they are changing the agenda. They're even talking, maybe, about reducing immigration levels and of course Brexit.

"So, I do feel that I recognise a lot of it. My question is, do they mean it and are they going to deliver?"

Mr Farage also said he is concerned that Boris Johnson's plan to bring the Withdrawal Agreement back before Christmas could lead to "Brexit in name only".

He said: "I want to get Brexit done, as does the country. Not just Brexit voters but now a large chunk of Remain voters just want this over and done with.

"Getting it over and done with is one thing, getting it over and done with properly is quite another, and that is as I see it now the role of the Brexit Party - to get Brexit done properly."

Mr Farage added: "If he's going to pass the Withdrawal Agreement between now and Christmas, which is what Boris is talking about today, then it's going to have to have some amendments, because if we're tied into regulatory and political alignment, it's Brexit in name only."

The leader also labelled polling data suggesting that the Brexit Party share of the vote may stand at as low as 3% as "nonsense".

Both an Opinium and a BMG Research survey had the party on 3% of the vote, with the latter, which was published in The Independent, placing them behind the Green Party.

Asked about the polls, he said: "That is just nonsense, you can play games with polls if you want to, I promise you that in many of these seats we're well up in the high 20s, and we are challenging and we are rising.

"This is about turnout, this about who goes out [to vote] and it's about where your support is, and clearly not standing in 300 seats, that impacts on national polls.

"You cannot read anything into national polls - this is a series of by-elections taking place right across the country."

Later on in the trip, Mr Farage went out canvassing, with one voter telling him: "It's time for change, you've got our backing."

But another spurned the Brexit Party leader because he was "busy", prompting Ms Maughan to joke: "Everybody's having their Sunday lunch."