Can Farage come back from this?

[noblegiraffe]

Up until recently, it was generally accepted that Nigel Farage had a good chance of being the next Prime Minister.

But now? Even if you forget the corruption investigation and imagine he is cleared of wrongdoing - he made a whiny speech, resigned in a huff, it backfired, and now everyone is laughing at him as he enters a face-off against a bin.

And the fact that he has to take it seriously while Binface very much doesn't take it seriously is making it look even more ridiculous. We know he doesn't have any shame from the stupid Cameos accepts money to do (why, when he can just tap his mates for another 5 million?), but surely even he must have his limits?

Is there now still a serious path to his becoming prime minister after becoming a laughing stock? Or should he bin his political ambitions and fuck off to America to earn the big bucks that he so clearly feels he deserves?

And if he can't, what for Reform? Jenrick??

Prime Minister Jenrick???

Let's hope not

Probably not now the mask has slipped and undecided voters have seen he's not the working man stood in the pub with a pint int'hand.

Pint in one hand, five million in the other that his friend just randomly gave him.

Even if it's decided that there was no corruption involved, the thought of having friends who can just give you five million pounds is quite something, isn't it?

I do t think he ever intended to become PM.

He’s a disruptive rather than a leader.

He likes to shout about how everyone else is getting it wrong and you can’t deny he’s a Greta communicator and knows how to do this to press the right buttons.

However, he knows he cannot actually do what he says he will. That’s why he’s been UKIP, Brexit party and now Reform. Because none of his plans have ever worked.

I am finding it hilarious that this has backfired and he will not en able to say the people of Clacton “chose” him.

Fair play to the other parties for putting party politics aside to allow this to happen.

I’d like to think his time is up, but people will still vote for him. Because of “the boats”.

He’s all hot air and good at shit stirring, he’d make a terrible PM but also I think there are too few far right voters across the uk in general

Even after a summer of fighting with a bin?

Reform was always about Farage, and he has become a joke.

Jenrick is an utter tool! No one in their right mind would vote for him. Farage is a horror but he appeals to the great uneducated that think he’s ’one of them’ because he likes a fag and a pint. Jenrick can’t pull that off.
I’m so enjoying the Binface media, in his interview today he was asked ‘why do you think you could win this by-election’ and he retorted ‘I’m not Nigel Farage’ and that was his complete answer! I’ve been chuckling all day on that!

I'm not up to speed on the £5mill. I've no idea how or why he got it. But if I were to make a guess, I'd say it was from someone who expected big favours if/when he became PM - maybe?

NF is the most work averse person on the planet. There's no way he would be able for the rigours of the Premier's job. So I reckon he would get elected PM and immediately resign (again!) and nominate another favourite of the donors, meanwhile NF would pull the strings from the back benches, nipping of the subsidised bar every five minutes to wipe his brow from all that hard work.

Well… remember Boris Johnson getting stuck on the zip line as London mayor? Was a laughing stock but didn’t stop him becoming PM.

But yeah, Garage has no intention of becoming PM - he’s allergic to actual work, it would be way too much having to actually show up. His only aim is to disrupt and cause chaos. Every time he comes anywhere near having to do the job he quits.

I think these things are polarised by the people you know. "Everyone" isn't laughing at him. There is still a large base who think the other parties won't run becuase they're scared, that PM Nigel would shake everything up and sort the country out, this a privately educated investment banker turned grifter politician is one of them, and don't seem to mind about the foreign millions. Even if he's found guilty by an inquiry, they'll believe he was set up.

Among the eduated people you know, this hasn't made any difference, they didn't like him anyway. Amoung the others, I'm not sure it's made much difference either.

Jenrick has been referred to the MET related to donations for his Tory leadership bid.

https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2026/jul/08/police-investigate-37500-donation-to-jenrick-leadership-campaign

Oh you're making a lot of assumptions there. I don't like echo chambers so I've actually actively sought out people I disagree with. I've listened to testy Zia Yusef, and even testier Robert Jenrick, I've looked at Restore, Greens, Conservatives, Lib Dem accounts and they're all pretty piss-takey. Vox pops with people in Clacton are mixed. The odd patriot account has given it a try suggesting Binface is an establishment plant, Arron Banks asking who is funding him, Lee Anderson trying to suggest the main parties are terrified to run.

But what is notable is that support is very thin on the ground compared to piss-taking, even if you are looking for it. And one of the problems with that is that the narrative around Farage calling an election doesn't make any sense. If he has done nothing wrong then he should just wait for the outcome of the investigation, right? What difference does the support of the people of Clacton mean if they don't know the outcome of the investigation? It is hard to build any coherent argument when there isn't one to be made.

On the other hand, the narrative of Farage versus Binface gives endless possibilities for amusement. Farage has correctly identified that the British love an underdog. But unfortunately for him, his 'me versus the establishment' underdog story which never really took off because underdogs don't have five million pounds in their pockets has been completely overtaken by 'can a man with a bin on his head beat a man with five million pounds in his pocket'.

For example: here's a woman from Reform going to bat for Farage and completely looking stupid https://x.com/stuzi_pants/status/2074776043152351497?s=61&t=U9XrcF693-JpMxeIueYG7g

It's hard to defend someone who has done something foolish. Jenrick is willing to give it a try but fails https://x.com/katiecurtis/status/2074922452111499386?s=61&t=U9XrcF693-JpMxeIueYG7g
You'd have though the Telegraph would be broadly sympathetic but even they have the background pic with their headline "Farage gamble turns to farce"

Yes, but you must live somewhere very different to me, which is not Clacton, but quite close and a very similar demographic.

At work (in school) people are finding it all very amusing and desperate for a Binface victory. In the pub, they're outraged at the treatment poor Nigel is getting, and taking it personally (because he's their man). It remains to be seen which sort have the majority (and who turns out on the day) in Clacton, but it isn't representative of the country as a whole.

You're right, but the Farage people, and we know there are a lot in Clacton, can defend taking £5m from abroad, so...

Like any good cockroach he will rise again.....

Annoyingly, I expect so.
He’s like that shit that won’t flush, you think it’s gone and then all of a sudden it pops back up again. Unpleasant and unwelcome.

Wouldn't surprise me. Look at Trump. Some people have fixed mindsets and it really doesn't matter what way the evidence points.

The best outcome would be a by-election defeat (probably to Count Binface), but as noted, there are some people in Clacton who still love him or think he is better than the alternatives.

Boris Johnson when being the worst Prime Minister was up against the former alleged IRA sympathiser and appeaser of anti-semitism Jeremy Corbyn. Nigel Farage as Reform leader is up against more alternatives, be they Andy Burnham, Kemi Badenoch or anyone else.

I live in Essex, not in Clacton, but I used to work in a job that took me into that community regularly. They will vote for him again regardless of the opposition. They still see him as the man of the people and on there's a bit of financial irregularity, but that's just sticking two fingers up to the establishment. You clearly live somewhere very different , the people of Clacton aren't those who have a heavy social media presence. The mocking of farage is just creating an us Vs them where they believe Farage is part of their us.

Being an underdog however doesn't always mean poor ? We were the underdogs in the mexcian football match

Unfortunatly many people remember the boats with farage and the fisherman on one and bob geldof and others leering at them from a huge yacht !

It's also pretty obvious he has devoted his life to his causes /Brexit and gave up a lucrarive role in the city people calling him a grifter etc doesnt make sense.

The problems still very much exists with asslym seekers and immigrants and all the loop holes being exploited.

Whether people in general still support him I think his loyal core Def will..I think the people of Clacton will feel extremely annoyed that they have been asked to vote again ! The cost of it and the pointless meaningless exercise will irritate people and I think some people who did vote for him will protest vote away from him.

As ever though whilst the situation is genuinely hilarious...one has to remember many people's lives have been adversely affected by the issues he campaigns on and it will feel like the house of commons is laughing at them. .

Look at trump and all the comments thrown at him ,it didn't end well.

I think he can. Too many of the people I speak to and the TV I see seem to think it’s none of our business why he was given £5mil. I can’t understand why people follow him when he’s so clearly such a snake with no plan but they are lapping it up. Depressingly, the only reason he may lose or not come back is restore. Two sides of a very shitty sword.

Yes, this is my fear. Every time Farage is mocked, they feel it as mocking them, and voting for him is their way of sticking two fingers up, not only at the establishment but at all the people who think they're stupid because they're poor (as they see it).