Nigel Farage has stunned British politics by announcing he will run for a seat in Parliament under the banner of Reform UK, a party he is now taking over as leader. The controversial figure, who led the campaigns for Brexit in the UK, had previously sworn off running in the upcoming general election in July. However, Farage says spending time on the campaign trail changed his mind, as he does not want to let down his supporters.
Thank you, Clacton. pic.twitter.com/e7MPeDywcZ
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) June 4, 2024
Farage will be the Reform UK candidate in Clacton, a constituency in Essex that made history in 2014 by electing the first ever member of Parliament from the UK Independence Party (UKIP), which Farage formerly led. The Conservatives currently hold Clacton with a daunting majority of 24,702 votes.
But the 59-year-old Farage is undeterred, declaring he wants to lead a “political revolt” and turn Britons’ backs on the “political status quo” that he argues is failing the country. He is convinced the Conservatives will lose their parliamentary majority, stating “They are split down the middle on policy, and frankly, right now they don’t stand for a damn thing.” Farage aims to capture “many, many millions of votes…far more votes than UKIP got back in 2015.”
His ambitions are lent some credence by two major pre-election polls showing Prime Minister Rishi Sunak’s Tories on track for a historic drubbing. A YouGov mega-poll gives the Labour opposition a projected 422 seats versus only 140 for the Tories. Another large survey byMore in Common puts Labour at 382 seats compared to 180 for the Conservatives.
Immigration is Farage’s signature issue, and he intends to put it front and center, declaring “We simply as a country cannot go on with an exploding population.” He advocates severely restricting unskilled immigration, saying bluntly “We don’t need any – we literally don’t need any.” Farage also distanced himself from Reform UK’s previous proposal to relocate asylum seekers to British overseas territories, conceding it is not “terribly practical.”
This will be the eighth time the perennial candidate has run for Parliament, having never won a seat despite achieving national prominence. Reform UK had already selected another candidate in Clacton before Farage’s entry, which he says was a possibility he was aware of “for many months.”
Nigel Farage getting a free beer from the good folks of Clacton just now. Cheers! 🍻
— Miffy (@miffythegamer) June 4, 2024
Over 70% of Clacton voters backed Brexit, the fifth-highest percentage nationally. But the current Tory MP Giles Watling dismissed Farage’s challenge, saying “I am not prepared to see the constituency sacrificed on the altar of his vanity.”
Many Conservatives fear Farage playing a major role could severely damage the party’s prospects by splitting the right-wing vote, as his previous Brexit Party stood down candidates in 300+ Tory constituencies in 2019 to avoid that scenario. This time, Farage says no such deal is possible, vowing Reform UK will contest 630 seats across England, Scotland and Wales.
These attacks on Nigel Farage will just make him even more popular with the voters pic.twitter.com/krrzx1yr50
— Mahyar Tousi (@MahyarTousi) June 4, 2024
A Tory spokesman warned that Farage “risks handing Labour’s leader a blank cheque.” The Liberal Democrats went further, demanding Sunak rule out letting Farage join the Conservatives even if elected.
With Farage’s entrance, the general election campaign has already taken an incendiary turn months before polling day. How his insurgent populist campaign plays out could have major implications for the future direction of the United Kingdom.
Major Points
- Farage, the former Brexit Party leader, announced he will run for Parliament as the new leader of the Reform UK party
- He aims to lead a “political revolt” against the “status quo” and capture millions of votes from dissatisfied Britons
- Immigration will be Farage’s signature issue, vowing to severely restrict unskilled immigrants who he says are not needed
- His candidacy is seen as a wildcard that could damage Prime Minister Sunak’s Conservatives by splitting the right-wing vote
- Farage has run for Parliament 7 times before without success but hopes an insurgent populist campaign can shake up the election
Kirk Volo – Reprinted with permission of Whatfinger News