With Farage’s participation, the election campaign, which has been weak, is now experiencing a new phase. Now, when many British voters are tired of the Conservative Party and the Labor Party, the national conservative British Reform Party with Farage as its leader could be a serious alternative. Until now, Farage was just the party’s honorary chairman, with colorless businessman Richard Tice as its leader. In opinion polls, British Reform fluctuates around 11 percent, but due to the district system, this means the party does not get any seats in parliament.
At a press conference in London, Farage said Britain deserved better leadership. “Our progress is better than that of our previous allies in the European Union,” he said, “but we are far behind America and the rest of the world. We are in social decline and basically it is also a form of moral decline. We have forgotten who we are as a nation.” Farage went on to talk about what he described as mass immigration in recent years, rising crime and high tax burdens.
He hopes to enter the House of Commons on behalf of the constituency of Clacton, on the west coast. Seven previous attempts to get elected have failed over the years. The Eurosceptic Farage was in the European Parliament between 1999 and 2020 on behalf of UKIP and then the Brexit Party.
Farage became famous thanks to his sensational speeches in Brussels and Strasbourg against the European Union. Although he never sat in the British parliament, he became one of Britain’s most influential politicians.
Because of the electoral success he achieved with UKIP, he forced Conservative Prime Minister David Cameron to hold a referendum on Britain’s membership of the European Union. During the 2016 Brexit campaign, Farage played a prominent role. Once Brexit became a reality in early 2020, Farage’s role seemed to be over. He is increasingly focused on helping his friend Donald Trump. Farage also got his own television show on the GB News television channel.
Rebels versus the established order
Brexit did not go according to his hopes and expectations. A few months ago, Farage claimed that the Brexit project was failing because the Conservative Party was unable, or unwilling, to implement it properly. Meanwhile, many migrants continue to arrive in the UK. Illegal migration across the Channel has been put on the political agenda by Farage and is a major issue for Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. According to Farage, the government is not taking firm enough action against this migration. He rejected the movement of migrants to Rwanda and called it an election stunt.
Although he is not an official candidate, Farage made headlines last week by claiming that a growing generation of young British Muslims do not share the same norms and values as the countries in which they live. This led to him being accused of being ‘Islamophobic’.
Farage wants to lead a new conservative movement. He portrayed himself as a rebel against the elite and the established order. The Labor Party is far ahead in opinion polls.
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