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AIBU?

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Original poster

To think Farage should keep his promise?

107 replies

Icimoi · 11/05/2015 16:46

Apparently he has graciously agreed to withdraw his resignation having conveniently been pressed to do so by the party. UKIP are maintaining he kept his promise to resign so that's fine. Farage is on record as saying the leader of the party should be a sitting MP. So what happened to that?

It seems to me that the whole thing has been an absolute farce. It seems fairly obvious that he never really thought he would have to resign and this has been cobbled together to try to come up with some sort of face saving means of avoiding it. If he truly wanted to resign and meant it, then it really wouldn't matter that UKIP allegedly refused to accept it: he couldn't be forced to carry on against his will. It follows therefore that the reality is that this is what he wanted.

None of it is in the least surprising, of course. I would hope that UKIP's followers will see through it, though I suspect that most won't.

OP posts:
CumberCookie · 12/05/2015 18:34

*then before I mean....

Rebecca2014 · 12/05/2015 19:23

I voted UKIP twice before...I wish he did step down, it makes a total joke out of the party. They could have brought in a new leader who really could have expanded on the 4 million votes they got in the election. A new leader like Suzanne Evans or Steven Wolf could have turned the party away from its racist associations but...meh. I am a labour supporter now, there are bigger problems in this country than immigration!!

LikeIcan · 12/05/2015 19:24

Icimoi - you seem extremely overinvested in UKIP & Nigel - you clearly can't stand them but can't stop talking about them. ?

UKIP couldn't give a toss what people like you think of them, you're never going to vote for them no matter what - they're keeping their supporters happy & that's all that matters. Smile

DogStrummer · 12/05/2015 21:00

In other parties, if a leader resigned there'd be a queue of people scrambling to take his/her place. I can't think of any party, where they would outright refuse a resignation. OK maybe the Tories at the moment, but give that a year or two Smile

UKIP's vote has strengthened massively. To become the third party, and keep hold of so many votes in a general election, is a real achievement. The party would be mad to let him go without putting up a fight.

Most importantly, the UKIP vote is now eating into the Labour heartlands. If there was any reason to get rid of Farage, it was to get rid of the "posh boy" image. But then, out of Chukka and Nigel, who's looks the posh boy? Grin

The outcry from UKIP supporters was genuine (as can be seen from Facebook, and the petitions that were started). Was it a publicity stunt? Don't know to be honest. I don't think so - they've not really had any positive press out of it.

piefactory · 12/05/2015 21:01

It's a bit naff but I doubt UKIP supporters find the opinions of the MN loony left particularly relevant.

Original poster
Icimoi · 12/05/2015 21:16

LikeIcan: DFOD. Three posts isn't by any stretch of the imagination over-invested, it's a discussion. Do you accuse every poster who posts more than once on any given topic of being over-invested? On the other hand, when you seem to claim to be on Christian name terms with the party leader, perhaps you are?

OP posts:
HappydaysArehere · 12/05/2015 21:59

UKIP gained the third largest number of votes in the election. They got a far greater proportion of the votes than the SNP. No wonder the party didn't want him to step down. He kept his promise and resigned. The party refused to accept. I didn't vote for UKIP but I admire Farage.

donemekmelarf · 12/05/2015 22:15

Happydays, Nigel Farage has charisma, that's why they don't want to lose him.
I don't agree with a lot of his policies well maybe some I do agree with but, I really admire him and what he and his party have achieved!
Anyway, It's about time British politics had a real big shake up, and he and Nicola Sturgeon have managed to achieve what some politicians can only dream of -

which is - they have lit a great big bloody fire cracker under the asses of the 3 big parties.
And if nothing else, the big cheeses may (just may) start listening to joe public for once!

ComposHatComesBack · 12/05/2015 23:21

I didn't think he'd resign from the moment he said he was 'going on holiday and would think about standing again' hours after the votes of South Thanet had handed his arse back to him.

Thankfully, I think that this has damaged him. He's now open to the charge of 'he's just like any other politician, says one thing and then does another: you can't believe a word he says.'

Viviennemary · 12/05/2015 23:27

He did keep his promise. He resigned. And in any case he hasn't had the best of health. I think it's quite noble of him to carry on because it's quite obviously what people want. But seems to be a row brewing already between UKIP and their one MP. He hasn't said one thing and done another. He resigned.

hiddenhome · 12/05/2015 23:31

Ha ha, you have to admire his front. He wasn't away long, not even long enough for a quick holiday Grin

Ee, what's he like?

Original poster
Icimoi · 12/05/2015 23:33

Viviennemary, if his resignation had been genuine he wouldn't have agreed to withdraw it. If he had told the party that they could reject his resignation till he was blue in the face, he was going to keep his promise and would not stay on as leader, what could they possibly have done about it?

OP posts:
Viviennemary · 12/05/2015 23:43

Well I can see what people mean. But personally I think he resigned first because he said he would and second because he wanted a bit of a rest over the summer. Apparently there was overwhelming support for him and lots of people wanted him to stay on. I bet if Ed had that amount of support from voters and colleagues he's still be leader. Well maybe not. Grin

ComposHatComesBack · 13/05/2015 00:32

Vivien don't be daft, being UKIP leader isn't some form of indentured labour, the party's executive can't compel him to continue and he could have insisted that it was accepted. Farage shot his mouth off, thinking he'd win the seat comfortably has had to do an embarrassing u-turn.

ArcheryAnnie · 13/05/2015 09:39

So, piefactory expecting a party leader to do what they have promised, especially when their usp is that "they aren't like other parties" is "loony left"? Okay then!

As I've already said, I'm happy about it because it just underlines and exposes how useless and untrustworthy Farage is.

LikeIcan · 13/05/2015 09:51

He did resign, but his party & supporters rejected his resignation & basically pleaded with him to stay. I think it shows great character that he listened to them & decided to stay - he could have just walked away & left them to it !
& what's the big deal anyway? compared to what some MP's get up to ( benefits scandal anyone ?) he's a saint.
Honesty, if UKIP didn't exist you'd invent them just to have something to hate Grin
Let it go fgs.

ComposHatComesBack · 13/05/2015 09:57

& what's the big deal anyway? compared to what some MP's get up to ( benefits scandal anyone ?) he's a saint.

I assume you've not heard of Nigel's dubious expenses claims
www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/15/nigel-farage-rejects-outrageous-eu-expenses-allegations

ArcheryAnnie · 13/05/2015 10:11

LikeIcan that's just weaselling around the issue.

Are you seriously saying you approve of politicians breaking their firm promises to fhe electorate if enough of their mates urge them to do so?

Original poster
Icimoi · 13/05/2015 10:29

He did resign, but his party & supporters rejected his resignation & basically pleaded with him to stay. I think it shows great character that he listened to them & decided to stay - he could have just walked away & left them to it !

Come off it, it would have shown much more character if he had told them he had to stand by his word and demonstrate to the electorate that UKIP members are unlike other politicians in that respect. The reality is that he never thought he would have to resign and knew that the party would fall apart if he did, so essentially he cooked this up with the executive.

OP posts:
LowryFan · 13/05/2015 10:39

YANBU. He is a total joke along with the rest of that moronic bunch of pillocks. He is Head Muppet of a party full of Muppets. There is no one more qualified than him to lead them in that sense...

Patapouf · 13/05/2015 10:46

WhetherOrNot: And 3.8 million people can't be wrong - he's here to stay
I bet to differ, it is entirely feasible that 3.8m are wrong (and misguided, to put it nicely)

DogStrummer: And to become the third party' NOPE! Wrong too! Libdems got more than double the UKIP vote, so that crown still belongs to them.

LikeICan what's a benefits scandal, pray tell?

LikeIcan · 13/05/2015 11:08

expenses scandal

Ykwim.

UncertainSmile · 13/05/2015 11:12

He really can do no wrong, can he? It is such a cult.

slug · 13/05/2015 11:30

Actually, it's the SNP that are the official third party. Which makes UKIP at best, 5th.

areyoubeingserviced · 13/05/2015 11:43

if he really wanted to resign he would have.
I think that he is an egomaniac who loves the attention.
I actually think that the whole episode has weakened him and UKIP. He has proved to be someone that you cannot trust.
If the Tories keep their promise about an EU referendum, there will be no need for them

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