EXCLUSIVEThe leading Brexiteer has been focussing on his media career but is planning to step up his political campaigning after recent events
*By Hugo Gye, Political Editorn November 25, 2022 4:08 pm(Updated 5:17 pm)*
Nigel Farage is preparing another political comeback in a bid to take advantage of the Conservatives’ divisions over Brexit and migration, his allies believe.
The former Ukip leader has been focussing on his media career since the last general election and does not take an active role in Reform UK, which he founded as the Brexit Party in 2019.
But as the party sees a modest uptick in the polls and an apparent increase in membership, Mr Farage has become increasingly outspoken in his opposition to the Tories.
A source close to him said that he was planning to campaign actively in upcoming by-elections, although he will not be a candidate himself.
Mr Farage’s comeback plans are motivated by growing anger on the right about the increase in both overall migration and the number of asylum seekers using small boats to cross the English Channel.
“They can’t sort out either illegal or legal migration – it’s great,” the source said, adding: “The imposition of Sunak on a party base that specifically voted against him has sent thousands of people towards us.”
The prospect of Mr Farage returning “scares the pants off them … Reform doesn’t, but Reform with Nigel does”.
One senior Conservative acknowledged that Mr Farage could appeal to some of the Leave voters who were attracted to Boris Johnson in the 2019 election. They said: “A Faragist comeback could make a difference, if Reform gets going again that could cost us a few seats.”
Another warned that this week’s row over the prospect of a “Swiss-style” Brexit deal would irritate voters, saying: “We shouldn’t talk about Brexit. People voted to get Brexit done and the more we highlight the problems the more they’ll realise we didn’t.”
Polling trackers show Reform UK is now on around 5 per cent, higher than the roughly 4 per cent average they got in the seats they contested in 2019 and above the level they were at earlier in the year.
Mr Farage talks to party leader Richard Tice at least every week, and the pair have ruled out standing aside in Conservative-held seats as they did in the last election. He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: “Whether I take a more active role in Reform UK in future will depend on the extent of the betrayal of Brexit.”
Please do! Splitting the rightwing vote would make me jizz in my pants. No more porn for me!
[removed]
who the fuck asked for you?
And absolutely appalling to think 12.64% of voters voted for this idiot in 2016.
If the media give him the (low) exposure he warrants, his impact should be limited.
No doubt to try and syphon votes from labour party, what’ a shock.
Despite popular myths to the contrary, Boris didn’t win a spectacular landslide for the Conservatives at the last General Election, Nigel Farage did, by withdrawing every one of his candidates.
Is that the same party as über bell-end Lozza Fox ran for in the London mayoral election?
Grifter running short of cash for beer and fags.
Remember him taking money (was it £100?) off anyone wanting to be considered at a Brexit Party candidate? Remember him refunding unsuccessful candidates? No, me neither.
Remember him standing down 300+ candidates just before the 2019 GE? Remember him refunding their deposits and campaign spend? No, me neither.
Farage is a confidence trickster, and luckily for him there are gullible idiots queuing up to pay handsomely for his snake oil.
Ah, Farage the Tory lapdog returns in order to split the anti-tory vote once again, as he’s done for practically every other election for the last decade+. The only result – as it always is with Farage – is that the Tories will have an easier job getting enough votes in key gerrymandered regions to potentially hold onto overall power.
‘We can’t have those who no longer support the Tories actually voting for Labor now, can we? That’d be terrible! We need a hot-topic Tory Lite party that has no actual hope of winning or holding any actual power, but can effectively take votes away from Labor and the other parties that hardline conservatives who are jumping ship would never vote for if there was any kind of alternative – even one they know can’t win.’
Then, once his job is done, he’ll leave the country again – just as he did after the last election.
The play has been repeated so often now and is so obvious, that it’s mind-boggling how they keep getting away with it.
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EXCLUSIVEThe leading Brexiteer has been focussing on his media career but is planning to step up his political campaigning after recent events
*By Hugo Gye, Political Editorn November 25, 2022 4:08 pm(Updated 5:17 pm)*
Nigel Farage is preparing another political comeback in a bid to take advantage of the Conservatives’ divisions over Brexit and migration, his allies believe.
The former Ukip leader has been focussing on his media career since the last general election and does not take an active role in Reform UK, which he founded as the Brexit Party in 2019.
But as the party sees a modest uptick in the polls and an apparent increase in membership, Mr Farage has become increasingly outspoken in his opposition to the Tories.
A source close to him said that he was planning to campaign actively in upcoming by-elections, although he will not be a candidate himself.
Mr Farage’s comeback plans are motivated by growing anger on the right about the increase in both overall migration and the number of asylum seekers using small boats to cross the English Channel.
“They can’t sort out either illegal or legal migration – it’s great,” the source said, adding: “The imposition of Sunak on a party base that specifically voted against him has sent thousands of people towards us.”
The prospect of Mr Farage returning “scares the pants off them … Reform doesn’t, but Reform with Nigel does”.
One senior Conservative acknowledged that Mr Farage could appeal to some of the Leave voters who were attracted to Boris Johnson in the 2019 election. They said: “A Faragist comeback could make a difference, if Reform gets going again that could cost us a few seats.”
Another warned that this week’s row over the prospect of a “Swiss-style” Brexit deal would irritate voters, saying: “We shouldn’t talk about Brexit. People voted to get Brexit done and the more we highlight the problems the more they’ll realise we didn’t.”
Polling trackers show Reform UK is now on around 5 per cent, higher than the roughly 4 per cent average they got in the seats they contested in 2019 and above the level they were at earlier in the year.
Mr Farage talks to party leader Richard Tice at least every week, and the pair have ruled out standing aside in Conservative-held seats as they did in the last election. He wrote in the Daily Telegraph: “Whether I take a more active role in Reform UK in future will depend on the extent of the betrayal of Brexit.”
Please do! Splitting the rightwing vote would make me jizz in my pants. No more porn for me!
[removed]
who the fuck asked for you?
And absolutely appalling to think 12.64% of voters voted for this idiot in 2016.
If the media give him the (low) exposure he warrants, his impact should be limited.
No doubt to try and syphon votes from labour party, what’ a shock.
Despite popular myths to the contrary, Boris didn’t win a spectacular landslide for the Conservatives at the last General Election, Nigel Farage did, by withdrawing every one of his candidates.
Is that the same party as über bell-end Lozza Fox ran for in the London mayoral election?
Grifter running short of cash for beer and fags.
Remember him taking money (was it £100?) off anyone wanting to be considered at a Brexit Party candidate? Remember him refunding unsuccessful candidates? No, me neither.
Remember him standing down 300+ candidates just before the 2019 GE? Remember him refunding their deposits and campaign spend? No, me neither.
Farage is a confidence trickster, and luckily for him there are gullible idiots queuing up to pay handsomely for his snake oil.
Ah, Farage the Tory lapdog returns in order to split the anti-tory vote once again, as he’s done for practically every other election for the last decade+. The only result – as it always is with Farage – is that the Tories will have an easier job getting enough votes in key gerrymandered regions to potentially hold onto overall power.
‘We can’t have those who no longer support the Tories actually voting for Labor now, can we? That’d be terrible! We need a hot-topic Tory Lite party that has no actual hope of winning or holding any actual power, but can effectively take votes away from Labor and the other parties that hardline conservatives who are jumping ship would never vote for if there was any kind of alternative – even one they know can’t win.’
Then, once his job is done, he’ll leave the country again – just as he did after the last election.
The play has been repeated so often now and is so obvious, that it’s mind-boggling how they keep getting away with it.