Few British politicians unleash the kind of evangelical zeal among their party faithful as Nigel Farage. Despite being weighed down by weeks of scandal, last weekend’s Reform UK conference showed that – as far as the membership is concerned – the lustre has not come off their man. So it was notable that Farage felt compelled to reassure his disciples that he wasn’t going anywhere.
That is my job,” he told them during his speech. While support within the party for Farage remains rock solid, the same cannot be said for the wider public. Dogged by financial controversy and with a parliamentary standards investigation hanging over him, as well as the police looking into Reform, it is unsurprising that his ratings have slumped.
The steady drumbeat of speculation over his future has continued. But while he has publicly declared he intends to fight the next general election – and beyond – sources close to Farage have told the Guardian that if Reform UK loses that particular contest, it will be his last. By 2029, the likely date for the next election, Farage would be 65 years old.
That would make him the same age – he tells friends – as Winston Churchill in 1940, the oldest first-time prime minister to take office in the modern era. Another five years at the helm would put Farage well ahead by that measure. Yet four out of five Reform UK members say they would want Farage to continue as leader even if the party is not in government after the next election, according to a poll of 850 members by Lord Ashcroft in June.
Just 13% said he should step down if they don’t win. There are those inside the party who don’t think Farage will stick around even until the next election. The party base is so fervently behind him it would be virtually impossible for a rival to stage a coup.
Whether Reform UK could carry on making the political weather to the extent it currently does without him at the helm is far from clear. So while any doubt remains over his plans, speculation over a possible successor will continue. One Reform insider said that if Farage did depart, the race was expected to quickly turn into a battle between Zia Yusuf and whichever “anyone but Zia” candidate seemed best placed to beat him, with the home affairs spokesperson a divisive figure even inside the party.
Extract — continue reading at the source.
