The Relentless Charm of Nigel Farage

This is the title of a very interesting piece in Prospect click on  to link read. It was written based on Farage’s performance in the South Shields by election. It rightly empasises Farage’s strengths, his ability to converse meaningfully with ordinary people something other political party leaders lack. The Frank Field quote sums it up, Farage operates in the gap between the political elite and the ordinary people. Its a big and growing gap which Farage exploits very well and is a major reason for UKIP’s recent strong electoral showing.

It rightly points out Farage is best on two issues, immigration  and the invisible EU referendum. Following the implosion of the BNP the former issue belongs to Farage. The latter enables Farage to exploit the huge democratic deficit in the UK with LibLabCon contortions to avoid giving the British people a vote on leaving the EU. On other issues particularly economics Farage is much weaker. I saw Wolfe, UKIP’s City of London spokesman on the Daily Politics yesterday and I thought he did OK. Unfortunately UKIP’s Tim Congdon, a good technical monetary economist, is a poor communicator when talking to Joe Public.

UKIP’s problem is it is the Nigel Farage party. The Prospect piece makes the point that the boozing and the fags will be taking its toll on Farage to say nothing of the injuries he sustained in the air crash. If he goes for whatever reason UKIP will crumble. He has had more than his fair share of luck but eventually it will run out and he has not developed the party organisation bequeathed to him by Roger Knapman..