Few sensible people will dispute that Nigel Farage is one of the most formidable and effective political figures to have emerged in British politics for many years. He was central to UKIP forcing the Brexit vote and we all owe Nigel Farage a debt of gratitude. I can even remember campaigning WITH him back in the 1999 European Elections. However I have long held some suspicions about Nigel Farage and these are reinforced in this letter that he published today.
So “Mr Brexit” is off to the US to help get Trump elected. Nothing wrong with that in itself, but he IS Honorary President of Reform and essentially he is more or less leaving them to it in order to pursue US adventures. What does that tell you about Reform? I think this is an admission by Nigel Farage that Reform will end up (like UKIP) without a single elected MP and that he has better things to do that campaign for it. How very disappointing for Reform supporters.
What’s really strange about this is that through the strength of his own personality. Nigel Farage COULD supercharge Reform’s prospects further and it might get very close to the Conservative share of the vote. That would be a tremendous achievement. I find it equally odd he has such confidence in the uncharismatic Richard Tice! Farage must know that he is the game changer for Reform and yet at this crucial moment he shies away from doing the necessary thing. He doesn’t want to change the UK game.
In my opinion. Nigel is a Judas Goat. He led the Brexit Party astray at the end by standing down ALL challengers to the Conservatives in 2019 and now in 2024 he holds back from going for the Conservative jugular. Same pattern. Is he simply a frustrated Conservative waiting for the Party to fall apart this summer and waiting for an invite to return to it and save the day? Is Reform just a limited hangout?
Back to my suspicions about Farage. I vividly remember watching the TV coverage on the Brexit referendum in 2016 and was shocked when Nigel Farage appeared to concede defeat early on in the night. WHY did he do that? I remember watching him urge the Government to appoint Tony Blair as Covid vaccine czar. WHY would he do that?
I do understand it is a heresy to challenge Nigel Farage’s judgement but when it is consistently flawed it would be cowardly to look the other way.
Yet again, the king Judas 🐐 goat plods along with yet more disillusioned voters, hoping against hope, that their great hope, Nigel Farage, will get them out of any mess they feel they are in.. Once again to be led, if not to slaughter, at least down a depressing path of rudderless confusion.. Farage? Off he goes, for the big money in America.
Nick Griffin, much maligned by the establishment, gave a thought provoking account of himself to Lembit Opik on TNT Radio. He says the establishment got behind Farage, only because Griffin himself was such a danger to them and their narrative. Griffin, having done good things out in Syria.. Not the anti Muslim individual that they've made him out to be..
We need to mentally put Farage in a drawer marked historical artifacts.. Gone..
Very interesting article. I didn’t realise you and Mr Brexit had a history. He was a massive let down at the last election, and I think that Nigel is more about Nigel than the British people. Nothing new there in a politician. Like you, I am still grateful for his part is us (partly) leaving the EU !