European elections 2019: Rees-Mogg backs Conservative candidate

Prominent Brexiteer Jacob Rees-Mogg has urged Conservatives in Wales to back the party at the European elections.

Mr Rees-Mogg encouraged people to vote for the Conservatives Party's lead candidate in Wales, Dan Boucher, at an event in Cwmbran, Torfaen, on Thursday.

He told the BBC he still had no confidence in Theresa May and thinks Boris Johnson should succeed her.

Mr Boucher said a vote for UKIP or the Brexit Party in the European Parliament elections was a "wasted vote".

"I want us to leave the European Union," said Mr Rees-Mogg.

"I think we should have left on the 29th of March but we've got these elections and I think it's really important that there's a good vote for the Conservatives and for people who do want to leave."

Mr Boucher is the director of public affairs at Christian Action and Research Education - a Christian charity which has campaigned on issues related to abortion and same-sex marriage.

He said he would not have voted to allow same-sex marriage due to his religious beliefs, but was "not looking to challenge" that decision.

"If I was elected I would look forward to representing people of all sexual orientation and creeds and colours, regardless of any distinction that they may have," he added.

Pressed on whether he thought gay sex was a sin, Mr Boucher said: "The Christian tradition that I come from teaches that the only place for sex is within a heterosexual marriage.

"We have to create a society in which we provide space for each other to get along."

Mr Boucher earlier said the fact UKIP and the Brexit Party had no MPs in parliament rendered them "incapable" of delivering Brexit.

"We have got the Brexit Party and UKIP suggesting people should vote for them when they don't have a single MP with which to deliver Brexit, which means they are baldly incapable of doing so."

There are eight parties fighting for four Welsh seats in the European elections on 23 May.

Welsh Labour, the Welsh Conservatives, Plaid Cymru, the Welsh Liberal Democrats, UKIP and the Green Party are joined by Change UK and the Brexit Party.

You can find a list of candidates here.