Yesterday, the world dimmed a little. Patrick O’Flynn, a man who was both a titan of the Brexit cause and a cherished friend, died. The news hit like a sledgehammer, and as I sit here, with a cup of tea, trying to make sense of it, memories flood.
Paddy wasn’t just a figure in the political and journalistic firmament, though of course he was that; he was a force, a believer, a strategist, and, above all, a decent human being. His death leaves a void that no amount of words can fill, but I’ll try to do a little justice to the man whose efforts in no small way changed the course of history.
It was 2005, the dark days before Brexit was even a whisper in the mainstream. Back then, the idea of Britain regaining her sovereignty was a pipe dream, the kind of niche obsession discussed in hushed tones by consenting adults far from the prying eyes of the establishment.