At this juncture, Chappell lays out two scenarios. In the first, Farage\u2019s wife, Laure, tells him it\u2019s time to stop, and he concurs. The PM goes to see the King \u2013 who, by this point, is 81 years old and grievously unwell \u2013 and tenders his resignation; His Majesty invites Jenrick to form a government, but it\u2019s clear that Reform has irrevocably split, and a new general election has to be called. There, one version of the story ends.<\/p>\n
But an alternative scenario, Chappell suggests, is more plausible. He cites one of the many sources on which he has drawn in writing this speculative account: \u201cWhen asked to imagine Farage listening to someone telling him to stand down, one former Reform insider said: \u2018Nobody could do it, Nigel\u2019s an autocrat.\u2019\u201d It\u2019s therefore more likely, Chappell suggests, that Farage would go rogue. \u201cIn this scenario, with a radical Right-wing Reform government unable to pass a budget and teetering on the brink of collapse, and Farage\u2026 holed up in Downing Street, it\u2019s perfectly possible that he simply refuses to leave office.\u201d<\/p>\n
Farage vs the King<\/p>\n
Even the pleas of the King, in line with the sovereign\u2019s constitutional function, aren\u2019t enough to sway the PM. Farage instead attempts to cut a deal with the SNP<\/a>, in return for a commitment to hold an independence referendum \u2013 a deal that risks destroying the UK. It is, in any case, publicly rejected, and with disgust, by the nationalist leader John Swinney. The House of Commons is in disarray; the Speaker won\u2019t take her seat. Even the Chaplain refuses to pray before debates. In desperation, the Speaker\u2019s deputy convenes a plan: Parliament will pass a humble address to the monarch, which will enable the King to demand Farage\u2019s resignation. This is done \u2013 yet Farage still refuses to go. With all other options exhausted, an arrest is considered. The military, loyal to the Royal family, will, if needed, be sent into 10 Downing Street.<\/p>\n