UK: Farage resigns – and announces comeback
The British far-right populist Nigel Farage has announced his resignation as MP in the House of Commons after coming under pressure for not disclosing millions of pounds worth of gifts. Farage, however, does not see the move as an admission of guilt – announcing that he will be standing again in his constituency's by-election.
Pantomime politics
The sheer arrogance of the man will not wash well with the voters, The Times warns:
“Mr Farage's brand of exceptionalism extends to an arrogant insistence on immunity for himself from legitimate media scrutiny of his personal dealings and associations. Politicians owe it to the people whose votes they seek to paint as accurate a picture of themselves as possible; of who they are and the influences that may in time come to affect their decisions. ... Clacton is firm Reform territory but its residents may not take kindly to being used by Mr Farage as characters in a political pantomime.”
Shine wearing off
Farage's ploy could come back to haunt him, comments The Irish Times:
“The strategy is not risk-free. Farage won his seat with a comfortable majority, so in theory he should be well placed to retain it. But the prevailing political winds have shifted since Reform peaked in the polls last year. A string of by-election disappointments has taken some of the shine off the party's claim to be the government in waiting. It is also struggling to contain a challenge on its right from Restore Britain, led by ex-Reform MP Rupert Lowe, who will scent an opportunity for sweet revenge against his former leader.”
Ploy to show elites who's boss
A surprising move, La Stampa snorts:
“With remarkable institutional recklessness, he resigned as an MP one minute, only to stand for re-election in the same constituency – his stronghold of Clacton in Essex – the next. The by-election is scheduled for mid-August. The political message is crystal clear: it is the voters who should judge him – not the headlines in the newspapers or on television, nor the Parliamentary Commissioner, who oversees MPs' conduct and compliance with the standards of public life. The people, in other words, not the Westminster elite. Not the establishment.”