2024-11-22
34 分钟Today in Focus presenter Helen Pidd goes out on the road – to Birmingham, Stalybridge and Clacton – to chart Nigel Farage’s bid to transform Reform UK into a modern, professional political party. Help support our independent journalism at theguardian.com/infocus
This is the Guardian.
Today, Nigel Farage thinks he could be prime minister by 2029.
But should we take him seriously?
Just give me a second.
In May, this Nigel Farage had allegedly retired from frontline politics.
My life was going pretty well.
I just had a big 60th birthday.
I'm in not bad health, which is down to clean living.
And I had not one but two grandchildren on the way, the first of whom, I'm delighted to say, was born on June 23, Brexit Day.
How about that?
Then Rishi Sunak called the general election and Farage decided to come out of retirement and make his eighth attempt at running for Parliament, this time in the Essex seaside town of Clacton.
I therefore do hereby declare that Nigel.
Paul Farage is duly elected as the Member of Parliament for the Clacton constituency.
Not only did he win the seat, but his Reform Party took four others, despite a rocky campaign that saw candidates and activists disowned for making racist and Islamophobic remarks.
I tell you what, if you don't.
Know about Islam, he's the most disgusting cult out with kicking all Muslims out.
In the mosques, then turn them into wither spoons.
Reform's five parliamentary seats were all won at the expense of the Conservative Party, but they came second in 98 others, mostly to Labour in the north of England and Wales.
And they won a bigger share of the national vote than the Libdens.
Now Farage has his sights on a bigger prize.