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**Alternate Sources**
Here are some potential alternate sources for the same story:
* [BBC News - General election live: Nigel Farage to stand in election and become leader of Reform UK](https://bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-69082668), suggested by pigeon_at_a_keyboard - bbc.co.uk
* [Brexit champion Nigel Farage to lead Reform Party](https://reuters.com/world/uk/brexit-champion-nigel-farage-lead-reform-party-2024-06-03/), suggested by Cuundoge - reuters.com
Nige is the ultimate opportunist.
He stands for whats best for Nige. The most recent polls are showing the inherent weakness in the Tories and thinks that (a) he might be able to finally become an MP and (b) as you said that will place him to merge / join the Tories who will be desperate for someone to lead them out of the cul-de-sac they've walked themselves into.
Leaving it this late and lying about whether he would stand previously is also calculated to damage the Tories as much as possible. The worse state they get into, the more likely he will be seen as the desperate solution.
Arguably he’s the most sophisticated political operator since Blair/Campbell. Yes, he’s a mighty gaping arsehole, but he’s incredibly good at spotting a vacuum and knowing exactly how to fill it.
This is worth remembering when we frequently lament the sorry state of British politicians. We actually *do* have a handful of canny political operators. Just not the ones we want.
I'd say that has more to do with the inherently shite coated machinations of our current political system than Farage's political nous.
In a properly functioning democracy with a properly functioning media, Farage would have been called out for his shallow single issue platform years ago.
But I agree that he's perfectly suited to it.
It’s going to be a VERY interesting election when it comes to the press. The polls literally arn’t moving, regardless of Labour having, what most would term an ‘uncomfortable’ week, yet most of the Tory press are either pretending ‘election, what election?’ or are shamelessly still backing Sunak as a winner. For Murdoch to still be on the fence, it’s unimaginable.
Right win Populism, where it exceeded in the U.S. seems to be drowning in the U.K., which is the most unexpected of circumstances for me personally. Its gives me a little ray of hope that actually, when push comes to shuv most of Britain have their head screwed on.
They don't, but if you've been bitten by a snake once you aren't going to stick your hand in its cage a second time.
Brexit as much of a disaster as it's been has thoroughly inoculated large parts of the population against right-wing populism, precisely because of how much of an unmitigated disaster it has already been. They are refusing to fall for the same trick twice.
When the majority say "good politician" what they mean is relatively honest, hard working, good presenter of information, and skilled at engaging and relating to the public.
When people who know politics say "good politican" they mean good at manipulating the public. Boris the liar was a "Good politician" in this respect, and so is Farridge.
I respectfully disagree. I think he's just taken advantage of a fragmented political landscape. It has nothing to do with sophistication, it's because he's an unprincipled wanker. Comparing him to Blair? Come on, like him or not Blair was a serious politician, Farage isn't someone who will ever be more than an annoying wasp buzzing around the margins. He's been around for ever but has never had any political power and never will.
He herded the Tories toward a referendum that went his way. He's just announced that he's running as leader of Reform and that this is the 'election of immigration'. He's chosen his moment well. The Tories are on 24% or so. Reform are third and are about to spend the next five weeks narrowly pointing out that the Tories have trebled Blair-era net migration, with the biggest increase occurring after we left the EU. As things stand, it wouldn't be surprising if he effectively wipes them out. Don't imagine he isn't important. He is extremely important and he's shown time and again that he doesn't even need a constituency to do it.
Well, he's achieved a lot more than most elected politicians ever do. He has free rein between now and polling day to highlight how Tories 'opened the floodgates' once we left the EU. He's going to drag them to the right and he's likely to cause them to lose even more seats, even if it's only immediately to the benefit of the Lib Dems.
The Tories are in so much shit right now. Expect a vulgar election campaign.
>He's done nothing since Brexit
So aside from his significant leading involvement in one of the biggest political decisions and political upsets, made in a generation he's done very little
He's someone who has succeeded by exploiting fear and tension within society. However, for someone as seemingly so repugnant and unlikable as he is I can't deny that he's made a career for himself where others have failed. I can't say I respect him for it though
Arguably the most effective politician of his generation unfortunately. It must say something about our system that he achieved his goal without ever needing to be in parliament
He was barely a politician. He was an MEP who rarely attended. And that was years ago. He’s stood and lost as an MP multiple times, and was notably beaten by a man dressed as a dolphin.
Less that and more that they'd more likely vote up one of the entryists already in the Tory party, like Braverman or Badenoch, than merge with Reform and king Farage, imo. The right of the party is trying to basically remove the One Nation Tories, but that doesn't mean they necessarily want to king Farage. Also, does that might be most receptive to him within the party probably want the top job for themselves, and they actually have the connections.
Trump is now a convicted criminal? Might've thrown his plans for America, can't think of anything else significant that's changed in the last week or two
He may have calculated that Trump is less likely to win and campaigning for him is too much hassle for it to be worth it now.
I know he just said he's "certain Trump is going to win now", but it's possible he's not being entirely truthful.
Hmm I mean it wouldn't for him, but odds for Trump winning have drifted whilst odds for Biden have shortened
Nothing crazy, but its made calling that harder, so he might not want to risk it
Yup.
The frog faced twunt, has been forced to jump off the Trump gravy train.
Campaigning for a convicted sex offender and fraudster is not really a great look.
Sooooo, will goto Clacton , demonise immigrants, drink piss warm ale, smoke some fags and charm the blue rinse brigade and illiterati to put an X next to his name .
As with everything he does, the only person who will ever benefit is N. Farage.
The only privately educated ex banker , millionaire man of the peeeeople.
.....during his speech he had the audacity to harp on about Britain's contribution to D Day and the defeat of a Right wing regime. Whilst he now fronts a rightwing party.
The guy is an opportunistic cancerous grifting cunt. Should he miraculously win, Clacton will not benefit in any way shape or form as it will inevitably be known for one thing and one thing only , electing this shit stain.
https://ibb.co/nRKKPxQ
Trump has become so toxic that even Nigel Farage won't associate.
If there's one silver lining here it's that clearly even our worst far-righties aren't as bad as the US Republican party
On one hand, absolutely. On the other hand, the GOP has become so crazy and embarrassing, it’s actually been killing them in elections. At the state level, we’ve seen swings of +20, no lie, towards the Dems. If the GOP had just shut up and run on the basics, they’d be in a way better position, but they can’t stop loudly stepping on their own dicks with abortion and climate change.
The GOP are guaranteed to win control of the US Senate in November, where much of the legislative branch’s power lies, and they have the Supreme Court for at least the next decade.
And due to the electoral college, they have a shot at winning the executive branch too (President).
Republicans do not care about winning local and state elections in a few coastal regions. They know they need to focus on winning the swing states, the ones that decide who gets federal power.
They aren’t guaranteed to win, and honestly, framing it that way is incredibly unhelpful. They have a very favorable map. They’re also bankrupt and bleeding competent candidates. We can see that in one of the toss up Senate races where Tester (D) is out raising his opponent 2 to 1. The other big pickups for them would be Sherrod Brown’s seat and NV, but those are going to be draining races if they want to grab them, and they’re having to defend Cruz and Scott at the same time.
Trump is rapidly losing ground in the swing states, and again, they’re so bankrupt that their dwindling number of super rich donors are having to bleed just to prop up the state GOP in NV, MI, WI, AZ, and NC. Abortion is the big thing. Women and the people who love them are *highly* motivated and very angry.
I’m not really sure where you’re getting that last statement. First because the local elections have been in what would otherwise have been considered safe Republican districts and states, and second because they absolutely do care about that. It’s how they managed to get to where they are now, and they can see Progressives using that same tactic to eat their lunch and build power. They really shot themselves in the foot with the Moms for Liberty stuff, so now people are well aware of their local games and don’t appreciate them.
This is why it’s better to not make definitive statements based on what you read on here.
As far as I can see it's possible to switch party without triggering a by-election. I'm sure there's been recent MPs switching party allegiance whilst still remaining as an MP.
What hint is he supposed to take? He's still incredibly popular and whilst you, me and many others, might not like him, the only hint he needs to take is that one that tells him that he'll continue to be popular
His problem has always been that his popularity is spread thin, never deep enough in any one area to win seats. As far as I can see, nothing in the current polling suggests that this has changed.
But people are really miffed with Sunak and really unenthusiastic about Starmer, so who knows.
Funnily enough, Piers Morgan was the one publicly mocking him on Question Time last week because Farage had bottled it and wasn't running...I wonder if it got to him.
I've always considered them both to be like genital herpes, without the initial fun event that caused them though. Absolute nightmare to be around, then eventually they disappear... But they'll be back when you least want them to be.
Farage is a slimy Trumpist who truly went off on the deep end with US right wing politics after 2016. And that kind of politics isn’t as popular here in the UK. Look at Trump’s favorability here.
I hope they hammer his utter lunacy home at the leadership debate because he’s way more extremist than the general public remembers him.
Brexit wasn’t won entirely on right wing arguments though. Many of the arguments were to the middle ground (e.g more money for the NHS). And they had to SOFTEN a lot of the right-wing messaging to make it more palatable to the majority. Farage very much made himself sound more reasonable than the batshit ideas he espouses now.
There isn’t as much of an appetite for the Trumpian/Republican politics here. Abortion, guns, insurance-based healthcare etc.
It was won on lies. Lies of all shapes and sizes. He stood in front of a billboard that shouted “we’re being invaded” in everything but those precise words.
Johnson and Gove attracted the tories to Brexit, whilst farage got the racist vote for Brexit.
He should never be let anywhere near government. He is and always has been a fucking grifter.
I agree with you but that’s my point. They lied to make it more palatable because I don’t think they would have won it on pure ‘build a wall’ style politics alone.
I don't know a single person who voted leave who did it for more money for the NHS, and I know quite a few people who voted leave. They did it because they were concerned about the UK being absorbed into a European Union superstate sometime over the next 100 years and losing its autonomy.
Not all 52% of Leave voters did it for the reason your mates did.
Also the ‘EU superstate/autonomy’ reason is probably one of the more middle ground reasons that I was mentioning.
100% as a matter of my personal opinion, a lot of my mates also support the extreme, aggressive and impact "boom boom" politics that both the Americans and Farage use.
"He's powerful, makes impacting points, must be good leader!"
Yea ... Except he's lied and conspired with Bojo and now we are in this wonderful sinking mess...
"It'll get better, we just have to wait !"
- Sure, after those of us who really "really" work and rebuild everything again ...and you claim the glory ...
I tell my "friends", "Believe in the lies and that you voted for it... to starve kids and kill off the sick... Kudos ! "
Sorry rant over
Mate, I hear you, I despair at the “time for a change” crowd that think anything that represents change must be it, regardless of how mental it is.
It’s so hard, even when you’re not like that, to look beyond the party leader and realise you’re voting for a party not a person.
The thought of us and the US both lurching to the far right this year scares the living daylights out of me.
Thanks for listening... I guess....
The current Palestine issue and the Brexit problems we faced made me look into politics a bit more. Both parties and leaders.
Politics has always been a "tell them what they want to hear and afterwards do what I want".
That's the part that baffles me, the short term memory...
We blame the doctors and nurses in the NHS for not doing their jobs and striking ... But who voted for Brexit that cut off a lot of European doctors and nurses ?
Who voted to increase the cost of medicine due to poor tarrifs and customs costs ?
Who voted for a government that ran this country for over a decade and used the slogan "Austerity"?
It just ... Baffles me how the cause and effect just ... Escapes the British ...
There's a comedic side that we look on the positive of things. But this is no further than shooting your own foot and saying "hah I can be a pro of standing on one leg!".
“Cause and effect” that is the common issue I have seen with most voters. They can’t see it. I also see the inability to understand that issues are complex, and the simplest answer is almost never the correct one, people want short cuts, and frankly it’s all instinct not information.
No he isn't. His politics date back faaaaaaaaaar beyond the appearance of Donald Trump on the political scene. To call him a "trumpist" is crediting trump with influence that he doesn't deserve.
Trump is far more popular in the UK than you realise. Amping normal people that is. The media would have you believe we all hate the guy but outside of London he is pretty popular
Poor Clacton. An area with some serious deprivation that could really do with a decent MP with a positive agenda for regeneration, but instead they might get Nige pedaling his division and hate.
It's also a wrecker mentality, if the system won't work for me and shows no signs of ever doing so, I'll throw as many spanners into it's works as I can partly as a protest vote and also partly almost with an accelerationist mindset. Just my opinion but I see a lot of this around.
Because they get sick of the establishment letting them down so they protest with their vote and go for an 'outsider' - not realising their choice in representation is what let's them down.
It's how Trump built his cult.
Only if they decide to elect him.
They could decide to vote in a Green or Labour or Lib Dem candidate (or maybe even if an independent if one stands) to represent them and their interests. If they *choose* to elect Reform or Tory then that's on them.
>He told a conference: “I’ve decided I’ve changed my mind. It’s allowed you know. It’s not always a sign of weakness, **it could potentially be a sign of strength**”.
He doesn't sound very confident in this.
Let's hope for his sake that Flipper the Dolphin isn't completing against him again. Flipper beat him by a significant margin the last time.
Get in as a reform UK MP
Defect to the Tories in a couple of years, dropping Reform UK like a used tissue as he did with UKIP
Run in their next leadership contest
Push to be a Tory PM in 2029/30
I'm calling it. This is the gameplan.
It depends on who replaces Sunak once he steps down after the almost certain Tory election loss. The Tories are already radicalising and Farage was a guest of honour at the latest Conservative Party Conference. This would have been unthinkable during the Cameron years and yet [here we are.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=CO4w0S-wVGt3YazZ&v=hPKcmk5uOBo&feature)
>They rejected the Tories for UKIP
Once, and with a bunch of caveats, like Carswell being a former and long serving Tory MP for the constituency.
A big reason Farage routinely fails to win seats by himself is because he needs to appeal to a local population and simply cannot find the support. He works as the leader of the party, the face of a party, but the actual "party" bit still eludes him. He's never managed to make a party that's electable in Britain.
It's my hometown. Farage is a God there. Carswell got in because Farage was on the doorsteps with him. The place is teeming with retired middle class Londoners who are terrified of anything foreign.
Why? You’re saying we can’t berate people who don’t think about what they’re doing and what they’re voting for? It’s ok for them to elect a grifting prick who doesn’t care about them and won’t do anything for them? Are we SO scared now of saying anything firm to people who need to have firm things said to them what we have to pretend this is OK? Jesus wept. What a state of affairs.
Correction - it's an extremely right wing seat. Last election that happened to mean a safe Tory seat, this time, not so. Farage is the clear favourite there.
Rishi was quoted saying precisely that to a reporter who asked him what he thought - something along the lines of "A vote for Reform is a vote for Labour"
Sunak had to offer him something. He refused. And instead decided to try to force every 18 year old into servitude
Remains to be seen which was the stupider move
So founder of party and honorary president decides to lead party ?
The guy really has a massive ego if he thinks this was worth some big press conference.
>founder of party and honorary president
Majority shareholder too, of course: [https://x.com/itvpeston/status/1747758089221062900](https://x.com/itvpeston/status/1747758089221062900)
Robert Mercer, Cambridge Analytica, Russian and Israeli intelligence, Brexit.
The rancid shit demon that is Nigel Farage has his dirty little nose in the same trough that is sleep walking the western world into fascism. Only in America, they're saying the quiet parts out loud and have been doing for a while.
The Tories and Reform need utterly annihilating at the polls before we can move forward. It's just a shame that we have to turn to Labour and Kier Starmer to get it done.
I'd never vote for Reform but I can't imagine being this bothered by a party that only has a small chance of winning 1 out of 650 seats.
It's times like this you should be grateful for FPTP.
Farage is just an upper middle class English eccentric. You're acting like he's the next Mussolini.
I guess because the nightmare scenario is that Farage gets a seat, and is then able to “cross the floor” to the Tory party when they shift right after the election (after many on the right of the party overwhelmingly blame Reform splitting the vote for Labour’s victory), and potentially even become leader. I don’t doubt for a second that he’d win a vote of Conservative Party members.
None of this is as far fetched as Johnson ending up PM seemed, not that long ago.
And you think it’ll all be over and this country will just settle?
Quite frankly I don’t see Starmer being anything other than a one term PM especially if immigration levels keep rising and nothing changes.
All you’ll get in 2029 is someone worse than Tory or Reform gaining traction.
He'll be an awful constituency politician, our current MP, Giles Watling is pretty non-existent but Nigel here will be to busy lording up the limelight to actually care about his constituents!
He is scum, I cannot believe that this man who has never been elected, is an ex banker, has had such a disproportionate impact on UK politics. He created the Brexit myth and hasn’t taken responsibility for its failings. I cannot rage more about this man.
I cannot fathom it.
I can. He has the same thing Boris Johnson has. The ability to sell absolutely nothing dressed up as everything, to people who want everything so badly they'll stop at nothing every time it's offered
The type that'll clean you out for a free energy generator, on the condition that you stop fucking asking how it works (because it isn't what they are telling you. if it was it would break the laws of thermodynamics)
The people suckered in by this aren't necessarily gullible or stupid. Some are quite astute, enough to have a great amount of disbelief in the idea that someone can lie so openly, repeatedly and brazenly and not be called out on it. That's such an improbable situation that it *can't* be playing out as a constant backdrop to the past decade... can it?
EDIT: But stop for a moment and think. If they built this free energy generator, surely they know *in great detail* how it works, so the fact that they can't tell you should be the only thing you need to hear before telling then where to stick it.
Because it certainly means the shitshow is only starting. We had the protofascists and now that their job is done, it's time for the Ur-Fascists to take power. Just look at all the idiots here saying they'll vote for him.
I'd hope not. Not just because I dislike his politics, but because his party is massively overrepresented already. They had 1 MP (and that was due to a defection). In the recent local council elections they only won 2 out of 2658 seats. If he is allowed on the debates they'll need to invite a hell of a lot of other small parties to be fair.
This scumbag openly said he was going to campaign on behalf of a fascist tyrant who tried to coup the government of our single most important ally. He's a traitor and any British person who supports him should be embarrassed.
Yep, the convicted felon and rapist who said he wants to be a dictator. Who is also fronting a political party that is stripping women of their reproductive rights and who have banned abortion, even when it endangers the woman's life and for rape and incest..
That is who Farage supports.
I know in this sub I'm going to get downvoted for it, but honestly he's got my vote.
If you look at the majority of big issues people are complaining about in this sub, it's lack of housing / too expensing housing, rubbish health care, too much crime, prisons being too full etc etc... all of these are being exacerbated by the ridiculous high immigration we have at the moment.
The replies to that would be "we just need to build more!" but we literally couldn't build enough houses, hospitals, schools, doctors, prisons, and all the infrastructure, roads, utilities etc etc quick enough to meet those demands each year, it just straight up is not a feasible solution.
In just the last 2 years, 1.5m people net have moved to the UK, That's like 3 new Mancherster's worth of people, and yet some people wonder why there's a housing shortage?! Assuming 3 people per property, that would be 685 houses that need to be built, every single day (ignoring all the other things that go along with houses to actually have a functioning society) just to keep housing supply static, and that's ignoring any population increase from within the country!
I wish we could have a more sensible government come in and actually do something about it, but just like the Tories, I don't think Labour will do anything meaningful about immigration, and we will have 4 more years of record high immigration and the issues getting worse and worse.
At least a vote for Reform, even if (when) they lose, if they get enough votes it might get the other parties realising, hey maybe people are actually getting upset about this immigration stuff and we need to do something about it if we want to stay in power.
>At least a vote for Reform, even if (when) they lose, if they get enough votes it might get the other parties realising, hey maybe people are actually getting upset about this immigration stuff and we need to do something about it if we want to stay in power.
That's his play and he has said as much.
He knows there are MANY people who are fed up of flip flopping between warm shit and cold shit whilst being told it's actually a tasty chocolate gateau.
Shocks afoot me thinks.
Farage is now at the point where he just needs to hold a press conference to generate industrial levels of salt on Reddit. I guess some people just want to be miserable, still living in 2016 unable to move on from the Brexit referendum.
I just watched the conference, everything he said sounded pretty sensible, nothing extreme at all... but if you were to read the comments on here it's like Hitler has just done a speech.
Saw his announcement live on youtube,
Probably more an issue for after the election... that essentially now the Tory party and its future will be entwined with the Reform party, once the prospect of 10 years of opposition sets in.
Curious whether they can offer anything that young people and non-homeowners can get behind. We'll see.
Bit late in the day but cool how the Peter Hitchens destroy the Tory party thing finally has impetus and actual direction among the conservative electorate now. Regardless of how much of a grifter Big Nige may be this is a good thing for everyone really.
Reform's chances have slightly improved and he gets to grift even more.
If he somehow worms his way into being PM via the tories somehow retaining power, sunak resigns and the tories put him in charge, we will be fucked over, big time.
This is amazing news.
Almost 100% of the policy focus of the tories has been to winning over reform voters rather than anything that could be even remotely construed as to improving the country. This one announcement means all that was for nothing.
I'm sure they were ~~praying every night~~ bribing Farage not to stand as the reform leader. Now the tories appeal to literally no one. Farage is the only charismatic leader in the race now and anyone on the fence between reform and the conservatives won't even think twice about following him (not that it'll even lead to reform getting any sort of power).
I think there's a much strong chance now that the tories won't be the official opposition party after the election.
Farrage had said he wasn't running in the UK election - because he was helping is pal Donald Trump get elected in the US.
So is Nigel the first rat to jump ship after Trump's conviction?
best thing that could happen, there is a bigger coalition of centre, and centre left than the right wing. PR would finish the Tories forever. plus whatever you think of them reform supporters should have a say - if they have to justify their positions in Parliament, they will be shown for the charlatans they are. as it is at the minute they can spout whatever right wing nonsense they want without any real scrutiny.
Say what you will about Farage, but his skill is shifting the Overton window. He did it from 2014/2016, there's every chance he'll do it again. And he might even be doing it here - making full use of the Conservative's crap position politically, then using it to push the party *even further* right.
His schtick is that the election is done so you don't need to worry about Labour getting in, they are in. Vote for him as a protest vote against the big two.
The last two election Labour UKIP voters and Tory Brexit Party voters jumped to avoid a huge May majority then to stop Corby and "back Boris", this time that dynamic is not there.
This is the election when he convinces people of a guilt free protest vote.
Id be better on 10-20% of the vote and they will take some off Labour but the ones they have gotten of the Tories will not be coming back as much as in previous elections.
Imagine being one of the people last week filled with glee when he was asked about his 7 failed attempts at becoming an MP on Question Time, now annoyed that he is running again. This man really lives in some peoples heads rent free.
This article may be paywalled. If you encounter difficulties reading the article, try [this link](https://archive.is/?run=1&url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2024/06/03/nigel-farage-election-announcement-reform/) for an archived version. *I am a bot, and this action was performed automatically. Please [contact the moderators of this subreddit](/message/compose/?to=/r/unitedkingdom) if you have any questions or concerns.* --- **Alternate Sources** Here are some potential alternate sources for the same story: * [BBC News - General election live: Nigel Farage to stand in election and become leader of Reform UK](https://bbc.co.uk/news/live/uk-politics-69082668), suggested by pigeon_at_a_keyboard - bbc.co.uk * [Brexit champion Nigel Farage to lead Reform Party](https://reuters.com/world/uk/brexit-champion-nigel-farage-lead-reform-party-2024-06-03/), suggested by Cuundoge - reuters.com
Aka become an MP and then take over as Tory leader when rishi steps down. What happened to him putting all his effort into trump?
Nige is the ultimate opportunist. He stands for whats best for Nige. The most recent polls are showing the inherent weakness in the Tories and thinks that (a) he might be able to finally become an MP and (b) as you said that will place him to merge / join the Tories who will be desperate for someone to lead them out of the cul-de-sac they've walked themselves into.
Leaving it this late and lying about whether he would stand previously is also calculated to damage the Tories as much as possible. The worse state they get into, the more likely he will be seen as the desperate solution.
He's a cunt, but annoyingly he's a very clever cunt
Cunning rather than clever, I think.
Arguably he’s the most sophisticated political operator since Blair/Campbell. Yes, he’s a mighty gaping arsehole, but he’s incredibly good at spotting a vacuum and knowing exactly how to fill it.
This is worth remembering when we frequently lament the sorry state of British politicians. We actually *do* have a handful of canny political operators. Just not the ones we want.
I'd say that has more to do with the inherently shite coated machinations of our current political system than Farage's political nous. In a properly functioning democracy with a properly functioning media, Farage would have been called out for his shallow single issue platform years ago. But I agree that he's perfectly suited to it.
It’s going to be a VERY interesting election when it comes to the press. The polls literally arn’t moving, regardless of Labour having, what most would term an ‘uncomfortable’ week, yet most of the Tory press are either pretending ‘election, what election?’ or are shamelessly still backing Sunak as a winner. For Murdoch to still be on the fence, it’s unimaginable. Right win Populism, where it exceeded in the U.S. seems to be drowning in the U.K., which is the most unexpected of circumstances for me personally. Its gives me a little ray of hope that actually, when push comes to shuv most of Britain have their head screwed on.
They don't, but if you've been bitten by a snake once you aren't going to stick your hand in its cage a second time. Brexit as much of a disaster as it's been has thoroughly inoculated large parts of the population against right-wing populism, precisely because of how much of an unmitigated disaster it has already been. They are refusing to fall for the same trick twice.
[удалено]
Yes — this is the scary, and largely unspoken, aspect of Farage. I dread to think how much right-wing US money is behind him right now.
When the majority say "good politician" what they mean is relatively honest, hard working, good presenter of information, and skilled at engaging and relating to the public. When people who know politics say "good politican" they mean good at manipulating the public. Boris the liar was a "Good politician" in this respect, and so is Farridge.
I respectfully disagree. I think he's just taken advantage of a fragmented political landscape. It has nothing to do with sophistication, it's because he's an unprincipled wanker. Comparing him to Blair? Come on, like him or not Blair was a serious politician, Farage isn't someone who will ever be more than an annoying wasp buzzing around the margins. He's been around for ever but has never had any political power and never will.
He herded the Tories toward a referendum that went his way. He's just announced that he's running as leader of Reform and that this is the 'election of immigration'. He's chosen his moment well. The Tories are on 24% or so. Reform are third and are about to spend the next five weeks narrowly pointing out that the Tories have trebled Blair-era net migration, with the biggest increase occurring after we left the EU. As things stand, it wouldn't be surprising if he effectively wipes them out. Don't imagine he isn't important. He is extremely important and he's shown time and again that he doesn't even need a constituency to do it.
He's done nothing since Brexit except moan that it wasn't the Brexit he wanted. He's useless in any practical sense.
Well, he's achieved a lot more than most elected politicians ever do. He has free rein between now and polling day to highlight how Tories 'opened the floodgates' once we left the EU. He's going to drag them to the right and he's likely to cause them to lose even more seats, even if it's only immediately to the benefit of the Lib Dems. The Tories are in so much shit right now. Expect a vulgar election campaign.
>He's done nothing since Brexit So aside from his significant leading involvement in one of the biggest political decisions and political upsets, made in a generation he's done very little
He's someone who has succeeded by exploiting fear and tension within society. However, for someone as seemingly so repugnant and unlikable as he is I can't deny that he's made a career for himself where others have failed. I can't say I respect him for it though
Hyenas and vultures are also good at what they do.
Yeah unfortunately he’s been incredibly successful.
Except at getting himself elected tbf
While him repeatedly failing to become an MP is funny, it’s hard to laugh too much when he’s been able to achieve all his objectives anyway
So he's a political butt plug?
Arguably the most effective politician of his generation unfortunately. It must say something about our system that he achieved his goal without ever needing to be in parliament
He was barely a politician. He was an MEP who rarely attended. And that was years ago. He’s stood and lost as an MP multiple times, and was notably beaten by a man dressed as a dolphin.
Yes but he got his Brexit without ever being in parliament. Lots of politicians labour all their careers and achieve next to nothing
He’s basically darth sidious but less successful
Surely they know farage will just drag them down ~~fuhrer~~ further?
Maybe they think that’s the Reich direction for them to go in.
That's totally out of order... Order... Orders vhich MUST be obeyed!
They clearly can ….not see … it.
You two
Less that and more that they'd more likely vote up one of the entryists already in the Tory party, like Braverman or Badenoch, than merge with Reform and king Farage, imo. The right of the party is trying to basically remove the One Nation Tories, but that doesn't mean they necessarily want to king Farage. Also, does that might be most receptive to him within the party probably want the top job for themselves, and they actually have the connections.
Trump is now a convicted criminal? Might've thrown his plans for America, can't think of anything else significant that's changed in the last week or two
Why would that change things for Nigel? Not like he has any morals
He may have calculated that Trump is less likely to win and campaigning for him is too much hassle for it to be worth it now. I know he just said he's "certain Trump is going to win now", but it's possible he's not being entirely truthful.
Wait wait wait. Are you insinuating that Uncle Nigel isn't entirely honest? How dare you? /s
but he just says it like it is! i saw him having a pint in a newspaper, how could he be inauthentic!?
Why can’t he use a glass like everyone else?!
Having it in a posh glass contraption would be too fancy for a true salt of the earth everyman like Nigel.
Yeah. Why wouldn't a multi millionaire, privately educated ex-banker not be just like a true working class gent? He's definitely one of the people.
Hmm I mean it wouldn't for him, but odds for Trump winning have drifted whilst odds for Biden have shortened Nothing crazy, but its made calling that harder, so he might not want to risk it
Trump got convicted… coincidence?
Yup. The frog faced twunt, has been forced to jump off the Trump gravy train. Campaigning for a convicted sex offender and fraudster is not really a great look. Sooooo, will goto Clacton , demonise immigrants, drink piss warm ale, smoke some fags and charm the blue rinse brigade and illiterati to put an X next to his name . As with everything he does, the only person who will ever benefit is N. Farage. The only privately educated ex banker , millionaire man of the peeeeople. .....during his speech he had the audacity to harp on about Britain's contribution to D Day and the defeat of a Right wing regime. Whilst he now fronts a rightwing party. The guy is an opportunistic cancerous grifting cunt. Should he miraculously win, Clacton will not benefit in any way shape or form as it will inevitably be known for one thing and one thing only , electing this shit stain. https://ibb.co/nRKKPxQ
> The guy is an opportunistic cancerous grifting cunt. Exactly! He's literally on Cameo for god's sake
[удалено]
Trump technically isn't a convicted sex offender, it was a civil suit, but yeah, the sentiment is the same.
He is both a convict and a sex offender separately.
What's wrong with Ale? It's delicious.
Leave the bad adjectives on ale out of this. But the rest is 👍
Trump has become so toxic that even Nigel Farage won't associate. If there's one silver lining here it's that clearly even our worst far-righties aren't as bad as the US Republican party
On one hand, absolutely. On the other hand, the GOP has become so crazy and embarrassing, it’s actually been killing them in elections. At the state level, we’ve seen swings of +20, no lie, towards the Dems. If the GOP had just shut up and run on the basics, they’d be in a way better position, but they can’t stop loudly stepping on their own dicks with abortion and climate change.
The GOP are guaranteed to win control of the US Senate in November, where much of the legislative branch’s power lies, and they have the Supreme Court for at least the next decade. And due to the electoral college, they have a shot at winning the executive branch too (President). Republicans do not care about winning local and state elections in a few coastal regions. They know they need to focus on winning the swing states, the ones that decide who gets federal power.
They aren’t guaranteed to win, and honestly, framing it that way is incredibly unhelpful. They have a very favorable map. They’re also bankrupt and bleeding competent candidates. We can see that in one of the toss up Senate races where Tester (D) is out raising his opponent 2 to 1. The other big pickups for them would be Sherrod Brown’s seat and NV, but those are going to be draining races if they want to grab them, and they’re having to defend Cruz and Scott at the same time. Trump is rapidly losing ground in the swing states, and again, they’re so bankrupt that their dwindling number of super rich donors are having to bleed just to prop up the state GOP in NV, MI, WI, AZ, and NC. Abortion is the big thing. Women and the people who love them are *highly* motivated and very angry. I’m not really sure where you’re getting that last statement. First because the local elections have been in what would otherwise have been considered safe Republican districts and states, and second because they absolutely do care about that. It’s how they managed to get to where they are now, and they can see Progressives using that same tactic to eat their lunch and build power. They really shot themselves in the foot with the Moms for Liberty stuff, so now people are well aware of their local games and don’t appreciate them. This is why it’s better to not make definitive statements based on what you read on here.
How can he take over as Tory leader if he's not standing as a Tory mp?
As far as I can see it's possible to switch party without triggering a by-election. I'm sure there's been recent MPs switching party allegiance whilst still remaining as an MP.
Correct. The former Clacton MP defected from the Tories to UKIP.
Presumably, get elected as a Reform MP and then defect.
Why would he defect? He's not a Tory, why would they want that?
He's a grifter, if he can lead a more prestigious party, he'll go for it.
Trump has outlived his usefulness now in the bigger picture.
Trump was found guilty. He's jumping ship.
He's like Piers Morgan, he just never takes the hint and you can't get rid of him for anything.
The political turd that won’t flush
The ultimate floater.
What hint is he supposed to take? He's still incredibly popular and whilst you, me and many others, might not like him, the only hint he needs to take is that one that tells him that he'll continue to be popular
Failed 7 times to get elected as an MP. One of those times he lost to a dolphin.
Haha yeah fair point. Unfortunately he still seems awfully popular and given the state of the Tories, I'd give him a solid chance
His problem has always been that his popularity is spread thin, never deep enough in any one area to win seats. As far as I can see, nothing in the current polling suggests that this has changed. But people are really miffed with Sunak and really unenthusiastic about Starmer, so who knows.
Wasn't even a real dolphin
No shame in that, they're majestic creatures
He’s a parasite 🤮
I'd rather have a parasite.
Funnily enough, Piers Morgan was the one publicly mocking him on Question Time last week because Farage had bottled it and wasn't running...I wonder if it got to him.
I've always considered them both to be like genital herpes, without the initial fun event that caused them though. Absolute nightmare to be around, then eventually they disappear... But they'll be back when you least want them to be.
What a grifting fuck. We should put him on a little boat to France.
Rwanda shirley?
Yes. And don't call me surely
The politics in Rwanda would suit him down to the ground
That would require a flight actually leaving to get rid of him
Farage is a slimy Trumpist who truly went off on the deep end with US right wing politics after 2016. And that kind of politics isn’t as popular here in the UK. Look at Trump’s favorability here. I hope they hammer his utter lunacy home at the leadership debate because he’s way more extremist than the general public remembers him.
Brexit happened in part because of him. I wouldn’t say those politics don’t fly here.
Brexit wasn’t won entirely on right wing arguments though. Many of the arguments were to the middle ground (e.g more money for the NHS). And they had to SOFTEN a lot of the right-wing messaging to make it more palatable to the majority. Farage very much made himself sound more reasonable than the batshit ideas he espouses now. There isn’t as much of an appetite for the Trumpian/Republican politics here. Abortion, guns, insurance-based healthcare etc.
It was won on lies. Lies of all shapes and sizes. He stood in front of a billboard that shouted “we’re being invaded” in everything but those precise words. Johnson and Gove attracted the tories to Brexit, whilst farage got the racist vote for Brexit. He should never be let anywhere near government. He is and always has been a fucking grifter.
I agree with you but that’s my point. They lied to make it more palatable because I don’t think they would have won it on pure ‘build a wall’ style politics alone.
I don't know a single person who voted leave who did it for more money for the NHS, and I know quite a few people who voted leave. They did it because they were concerned about the UK being absorbed into a European Union superstate sometime over the next 100 years and losing its autonomy.
Not all 52% of Leave voters did it for the reason your mates did. Also the ‘EU superstate/autonomy’ reason is probably one of the more middle ground reasons that I was mentioning.
100% as a matter of my personal opinion, a lot of my mates also support the extreme, aggressive and impact "boom boom" politics that both the Americans and Farage use. "He's powerful, makes impacting points, must be good leader!" Yea ... Except he's lied and conspired with Bojo and now we are in this wonderful sinking mess... "It'll get better, we just have to wait !" - Sure, after those of us who really "really" work and rebuild everything again ...and you claim the glory ... I tell my "friends", "Believe in the lies and that you voted for it... to starve kids and kill off the sick... Kudos ! " Sorry rant over
Mate, I hear you, I despair at the “time for a change” crowd that think anything that represents change must be it, regardless of how mental it is. It’s so hard, even when you’re not like that, to look beyond the party leader and realise you’re voting for a party not a person. The thought of us and the US both lurching to the far right this year scares the living daylights out of me.
Thanks for listening... I guess.... The current Palestine issue and the Brexit problems we faced made me look into politics a bit more. Both parties and leaders. Politics has always been a "tell them what they want to hear and afterwards do what I want". That's the part that baffles me, the short term memory... We blame the doctors and nurses in the NHS for not doing their jobs and striking ... But who voted for Brexit that cut off a lot of European doctors and nurses ? Who voted to increase the cost of medicine due to poor tarrifs and customs costs ? Who voted for a government that ran this country for over a decade and used the slogan "Austerity"? It just ... Baffles me how the cause and effect just ... Escapes the British ... There's a comedic side that we look on the positive of things. But this is no further than shooting your own foot and saying "hah I can be a pro of standing on one leg!".
“Cause and effect” that is the common issue I have seen with most voters. They can’t see it. I also see the inability to understand that issues are complex, and the simplest answer is almost never the correct one, people want short cuts, and frankly it’s all instinct not information.
Farage was off the deep end waaaay before 2016.
No he isn't. His politics date back faaaaaaaaaar beyond the appearance of Donald Trump on the political scene. To call him a "trumpist" is crediting trump with influence that he doesn't deserve.
Trump is far more popular in the UK than you realise. Amping normal people that is. The media would have you believe we all hate the guy but outside of London he is pretty popular
Poor Clacton. An area with some serious deprivation that could really do with a decent MP with a positive agenda for regeneration, but instead they might get Nige pedaling his division and hate.
Sometimes I wonder why the poorest people elect politicians who don't give a flying fuck about them
Probably because they get their political news from memes
It's also a wrecker mentality, if the system won't work for me and shows no signs of ever doing so, I'll throw as many spanners into it's works as I can partly as a protest vote and also partly almost with an accelerationist mindset. Just my opinion but I see a lot of this around.
I thought it was a Southern thing. Almost evey single deprived area in the North is a Labour seat.
Still not immune to it though, if the brexit vote was anything to go by, and the northern wall collapsed in favour of the tories last time round so…
Deprived areas (north itt south) hate immigration, so are attracted to reform.
Maybe small rundown seaside towns, but definitely not in suburbs and inner city areas.
Because they get sick of the establishment letting them down so they protest with their vote and go for an 'outsider' - not realising their choice in representation is what let's them down. It's how Trump built his cult.
Only if they decide to elect him. They could decide to vote in a Green or Labour or Lib Dem candidate (or maybe even if an independent if one stands) to represent them and their interests. If they *choose* to elect Reform or Tory then that's on them.
I mean, they could just… not vote for him.
>He told a conference: “I’ve decided I’ve changed my mind. It’s allowed you know. It’s not always a sign of weakness, **it could potentially be a sign of strength**”. He doesn't sound very confident in this. Let's hope for his sake that Flipper the Dolphin isn't completing against him again. Flipper beat him by a significant margin the last time.
But we can’t have another referendum on Brexit as the public isn’t allowed to change its mind presumably.
New instructions from his handler
Yes this is fantastic news! This means he's actually going all in on reform, so they'll really pull votes away from the tories! Come on 66 seats!
Nah, let's get them 35 so that the Lib Dems are the official opposition.
That would be priceless
The latest electoral maths I've seen have LD and CON basically neck and neck for number of seats, this could really push the CONS down enough.
He is a Russian agent. Be careful what you wish for.
Whew for a second there I thought the BBC would have to pull Farage's c*ck out their mouth to talk about somebody else.
They can’t help themselves, they’re like an alcoholic living near a Spoons.
Get in as a reform UK MP Defect to the Tories in a couple of years, dropping Reform UK like a used tissue as he did with UKIP Run in their next leadership contest Push to be a Tory PM in 2029/30 I'm calling it. This is the gameplan.
Would the Tories want him? They can refuse
There is a wave of far right politics sweeping Europe and the post sunak Tories are unlikely to miss it.
Republicans didn't want Trump once upon a time. Look at them now.
It depends on who replaces Sunak once he steps down after the almost certain Tory election loss. The Tories are already radicalising and Farage was a guest of honour at the latest Conservative Party Conference. This would have been unthinkable during the Cameron years and yet [here we are.](https://m.youtube.com/watch?si=CO4w0S-wVGt3YazZ&v=hPKcmk5uOBo&feature)
Clacton is an extremely safe Tory seat, they won 74% of the vote last time.
They rejected the Tories for UKIP. Farage will win this seat at a canter.
>They rejected the Tories for UKIP Once, and with a bunch of caveats, like Carswell being a former and long serving Tory MP for the constituency. A big reason Farage routinely fails to win seats by himself is because he needs to appeal to a local population and simply cannot find the support. He works as the leader of the party, the face of a party, but the actual "party" bit still eludes him. He's never managed to make a party that's electable in Britain.
It's my hometown. Farage is a God there. Carswell got in because Farage was on the doorsteps with him. The place is teeming with retired middle class Londoners who are terrified of anything foreign.
Yep. 100% going to win it. The place is a cesspit, he’ll win on the intelligence of Jaywick alone.
Lets not be cunty and berate people for politics. This isnt America
Why? You’re saying we can’t berate people who don’t think about what they’re doing and what they’re voting for? It’s ok for them to elect a grifting prick who doesn’t care about them and won’t do anything for them? Are we SO scared now of saying anything firm to people who need to have firm things said to them what we have to pretend this is OK? Jesus wept. What a state of affairs.
poor areas have low intelligence?
poor areas have poor education\*
It also had the first UKIP MP, he’ll win easily
Correction - it's an extremely right wing seat. Last election that happened to mean a safe Tory seat, this time, not so. Farage is the clear favourite there.
Worst nightmare for the tories, will split their vote further
Rishi was quoted saying precisely that to a reporter who asked him what he thought - something along the lines of "A vote for Reform is a vote for Labour"
Sunak had to offer him something. He refused. And instead decided to try to force every 18 year old into servitude Remains to be seen which was the stupider move
He already was in all but name, Tice was just a place holder. Here's hoping Clacton makes it 8 in a row for the tedious arse.
So founder of party and honorary president decides to lead party ? The guy really has a massive ego if he thinks this was worth some big press conference.
IT'S AN EMERGENCY DIDN'T YOU KNOW!?
>founder of party and honorary president Majority shareholder too, of course: [https://x.com/itvpeston/status/1747758089221062900](https://x.com/itvpeston/status/1747758089221062900)
The news is more that this means he’ll stand as an MP.
"I've changed my mind, it's allowed you know" - Nigel Farage Expect to see this on a Lib Dem billboard soon.
Love to see him twisting in his socks when asked if that means we can have a second Brexit referendum.
Robert Mercer, Cambridge Analytica, Russian and Israeli intelligence, Brexit. The rancid shit demon that is Nigel Farage has his dirty little nose in the same trough that is sleep walking the western world into fascism. Only in America, they're saying the quiet parts out loud and have been doing for a while. The Tories and Reform need utterly annihilating at the polls before we can move forward. It's just a shame that we have to turn to Labour and Kier Starmer to get it done.
I'd never vote for Reform but I can't imagine being this bothered by a party that only has a small chance of winning 1 out of 650 seats. It's times like this you should be grateful for FPTP. Farage is just an upper middle class English eccentric. You're acting like he's the next Mussolini.
I guess because the nightmare scenario is that Farage gets a seat, and is then able to “cross the floor” to the Tory party when they shift right after the election (after many on the right of the party overwhelmingly blame Reform splitting the vote for Labour’s victory), and potentially even become leader. I don’t doubt for a second that he’d win a vote of Conservative Party members. None of this is as far fetched as Johnson ending up PM seemed, not that long ago.
And you think it’ll all be over and this country will just settle? Quite frankly I don’t see Starmer being anything other than a one term PM especially if immigration levels keep rising and nothing changes. All you’ll get in 2029 is someone worse than Tory or Reform gaining traction.
He'll be an awful constituency politician, our current MP, Giles Watling is pretty non-existent but Nigel here will be to busy lording up the limelight to actually care about his constituents!
A Nadine Dorres with a willy then.
You mean Reform was just UKIP all along? \* Surprised Pikachu Face \*
Will broadcasting election rules be applied properly then? Give he has his own shows and all that. Needs to ditch them.
As the saying goes: if at first, second, third, fourth, fifth, sixth and seventh you don't succeed...
Farage after failing to win standing as an MP seven times: "I've got one more in me"
He is scum, I cannot believe that this man who has never been elected, is an ex banker, has had such a disproportionate impact on UK politics. He created the Brexit myth and hasn’t taken responsibility for its failings. I cannot rage more about this man. I cannot fathom it.
I can. He has the same thing Boris Johnson has. The ability to sell absolutely nothing dressed up as everything, to people who want everything so badly they'll stop at nothing every time it's offered The type that'll clean you out for a free energy generator, on the condition that you stop fucking asking how it works (because it isn't what they are telling you. if it was it would break the laws of thermodynamics) The people suckered in by this aren't necessarily gullible or stupid. Some are quite astute, enough to have a great amount of disbelief in the idea that someone can lie so openly, repeatedly and brazenly and not be called out on it. That's such an improbable situation that it *can't* be playing out as a constant backdrop to the past decade... can it? EDIT: But stop for a moment and think. If they built this free energy generator, surely they know *in great detail* how it works, so the fact that they can't tell you should be the only thing you need to hear before telling then where to stick it.
Why do I get the funny feeling this is a sign of far worse things to come…
Because it certainly means the shitshow is only starting. We had the protofascists and now that their job is done, it's time for the Ur-Fascists to take power. Just look at all the idiots here saying they'll vote for him.
This is good news. He will split the conservative vote. Under our FPTP system, this will further boost Labour's seat numbers.
Five minutes ago he was desperate to get over to the US to support the Convict in Chief. The grifting cunt.
This is just so he can participate in the debates isnt it.
I'd hope not. Not just because I dislike his politics, but because his party is massively overrepresented already. They had 1 MP (and that was due to a defection). In the recent local council elections they only won 2 out of 2658 seats. If he is allowed on the debates they'll need to invite a hell of a lot of other small parties to be fair.
This scumbag openly said he was going to campaign on behalf of a fascist tyrant who tried to coup the government of our single most important ally. He's a traitor and any British person who supports him should be embarrassed.
Yep, the convicted felon and rapist who said he wants to be a dictator. Who is also fronting a political party that is stripping women of their reproductive rights and who have banned abortion, even when it endangers the woman's life and for rape and incest.. That is who Farage supports.
This is what compulsive reddit does to someone.
I know in this sub I'm going to get downvoted for it, but honestly he's got my vote. If you look at the majority of big issues people are complaining about in this sub, it's lack of housing / too expensing housing, rubbish health care, too much crime, prisons being too full etc etc... all of these are being exacerbated by the ridiculous high immigration we have at the moment. The replies to that would be "we just need to build more!" but we literally couldn't build enough houses, hospitals, schools, doctors, prisons, and all the infrastructure, roads, utilities etc etc quick enough to meet those demands each year, it just straight up is not a feasible solution. In just the last 2 years, 1.5m people net have moved to the UK, That's like 3 new Mancherster's worth of people, and yet some people wonder why there's a housing shortage?! Assuming 3 people per property, that would be 685 houses that need to be built, every single day (ignoring all the other things that go along with houses to actually have a functioning society) just to keep housing supply static, and that's ignoring any population increase from within the country! I wish we could have a more sensible government come in and actually do something about it, but just like the Tories, I don't think Labour will do anything meaningful about immigration, and we will have 4 more years of record high immigration and the issues getting worse and worse. At least a vote for Reform, even if (when) they lose, if they get enough votes it might get the other parties realising, hey maybe people are actually getting upset about this immigration stuff and we need to do something about it if we want to stay in power.
>At least a vote for Reform, even if (when) they lose, if they get enough votes it might get the other parties realising, hey maybe people are actually getting upset about this immigration stuff and we need to do something about it if we want to stay in power. That's his play and he has said as much. He knows there are MANY people who are fed up of flip flopping between warm shit and cold shit whilst being told it's actually a tasty chocolate gateau. Shocks afoot me thinks.
Agree 100%. I’ll vote reform even if it means that labour get in. Vote numbers are what will matter.
Farage is now at the point where he just needs to hold a press conference to generate industrial levels of salt on Reddit. I guess some people just want to be miserable, still living in 2016 unable to move on from the Brexit referendum.
I just watched the conference, everything he said sounded pretty sensible, nothing extreme at all... but if you were to read the comments on here it's like Hitler has just done a speech.
Oh Lordy lord! Just when I thought he’s about to bigger off to the US to lick Trump’s boots.
Saw his announcement live on youtube, Probably more an issue for after the election... that essentially now the Tory party and its future will be entwined with the Reform party, once the prospect of 10 years of opposition sets in. Curious whether they can offer anything that young people and non-homeowners can get behind. We'll see.
Awesome. That splits the Tory vote. Thank you Nigel. Just need to avoid the BBC for the next few weeks.
Bit late in the day but cool how the Peter Hitchens destroy the Tory party thing finally has impetus and actual direction among the conservative electorate now. Regardless of how much of a grifter Big Nige may be this is a good thing for everyone really.
Agreed - Despite what you think of Farrage, this is a good things for UK politics.
Is it though? For me it seems more dangerous.
Reform's chances have slightly improved and he gets to grift even more. If he somehow worms his way into being PM via the tories somehow retaining power, sunak resigns and the tories put him in charge, we will be fucked over, big time.
This is amazing news. Almost 100% of the policy focus of the tories has been to winning over reform voters rather than anything that could be even remotely construed as to improving the country. This one announcement means all that was for nothing. I'm sure they were ~~praying every night~~ bribing Farage not to stand as the reform leader. Now the tories appeal to literally no one. Farage is the only charismatic leader in the race now and anyone on the fence between reform and the conservatives won't even think twice about following him (not that it'll even lead to reform getting any sort of power). I think there's a much strong chance now that the tories won't be the official opposition party after the election.
Farrage had said he wasn't running in the UK election - because he was helping is pal Donald Trump get elected in the US. So is Nigel the first rat to jump ship after Trump's conviction?
Reform wins no seat and Tories get wiped out. Cue calls for PR from the right! Next election Labour graciously put it in their manifesto.
best thing that could happen, there is a bigger coalition of centre, and centre left than the right wing. PR would finish the Tories forever. plus whatever you think of them reform supporters should have a say - if they have to justify their positions in Parliament, they will be shown for the charlatans they are. as it is at the minute they can spout whatever right wing nonsense they want without any real scrutiny.
An opportunistic grifter who has quit and comeback several times quit and has now come back yet again, colour me surprised.
Trumps fucked so Nigel will try again in the uk. Grifters got to grift
So he was lying a few days ago when he said he wasn’t participating in the election
Here comes the high horse comments looking down their nose to anything to do with Reform
I hope Farage wins a seat, he’s about the only British politician that speaks sense at the moment. It will be great seeing him in the house of commons
Say what you will about Farage, but his skill is shifting the Overton window. He did it from 2014/2016, there's every chance he'll do it again. And he might even be doing it here - making full use of the Conservative's crap position politically, then using it to push the party *even further* right.
Has he not screwed this country over enough? Fuck off to America already.
Is there not enough shit floating off the coast of Clacton already?
His schtick is that the election is done so you don't need to worry about Labour getting in, they are in. Vote for him as a protest vote against the big two. The last two election Labour UKIP voters and Tory Brexit Party voters jumped to avoid a huge May majority then to stop Corby and "back Boris", this time that dynamic is not there. This is the election when he convinces people of a guilt free protest vote. Id be better on 10-20% of the vote and they will take some off Labour but the ones they have gotten of the Tories will not be coming back as much as in previous elections.
Excellent news! Will split the Tory vote further and help consign them to electoral oblivion.
Honestly hate or love him its interesting to hear him speak.
Exactly, he’s articulate and more honest than virtually any other politician. Looking forward hearing him in the House of Commons
No surprise. After his antics on I'm a celebrity and last weeks question time I'm worried he'll win.
This guy should be in jail for the lies he spread about brexit...
A truly wonderful man. Would love to share a pint with him.
Imagine being one of the people last week filled with glee when he was asked about his 7 failed attempts at becoming an MP on Question Time, now annoyed that he is running again. This man really lives in some peoples heads rent free.
Farage is actually leading the Nigel Farage Vanity Project? Well, colour me surprised!
Very good news, I hope we'll see some momentum behind Reform over the next few days