To think Nigel Farage is the most damaging political figure we have had for decades?

[Zadig]

This man made it his entire life's ambition to exit the UK from the EU. He has campaigned on this issue for decades and achieved his goal by becoming the "pied piper" to the disaffected and tapping into the insidious racism that lurks beneath our society. Ugly stuff.
Then, on achieving his life's ambition, what does he do? He resigns.
Yes we were all glad to see the back of him obviously, but AIBU to feel he should have been forced to head up and deal with the shit show that is Brexit, rather than running away from the train wreck he set in motion? Of all politicians, I find his hypocrisy totally staggering.

Criticise Brexit (tick)
Criticise Farage (tick)
Refer to brexit supporters as benefit scrounging racists (tick)

OP, you were doing so well until

To my mind, he should not be free to walk the streets

Rule number one in the left wing rule book: NEVER voice this opinion, only THINK It, thereby giving yourself the moral high ground to preach as much as you like.

Ah but Margaret you claim to KNOW the reason why the 17.4 million people who voted Brexit.

Elendon, can you please quote the bit where I claimed I knew why all 17.4 million people voted? Coz I'm struggling to find it. Thanx xxx

Are you really struggling Margaret? Are you?

Well I can't see it anywhere. You must have better eyesight than me.

Because I'm sure you wouldn't do anything as rotten as just making it up, would you sweetheart?

What frege said

Plus on mumsnet it does not matter how you have ever voted

If you dont like farage or boris it makes you left wing...its really weird

Farage ... is fighting for the UK from within the EU.

Is that a fucking joke?!! Farage barely turns up for his MEP job & when he does turn up it's only to loudly slag everyone else off. He's a complete non-team player.

UK Euroskeptic MEPs are generally Asswipes when it comes to taking their elected job seriously. I'll wager Farage & Hannan spent A LOT more time campaigning for Brexit than attending to MEP business in 2014-2016.

Sorry , to answer the OP

I think farage is a twat but i dont think the referendum was his fault

I probably loooaaaathe Gove the most

Anyway, I think Blair is mostly to blame for espousing a form of globalisation which has heavily benefited the rich and damaged the poorest people in the west. That is what I believe is at the root of the move to the right in politics.

Actually, it is Jeremy Corbyn who is vile and wants this country to regress back to the dysfunctional 70's.

I suspect if Corbyn got in the OP might have her way as far as people whose opinions she dislikes being banged up.

Seriously margaret

but AIBU to feel he should have been forced to head up and deal with the shit show that is Brexit

how would that work when he's not actually in charge of the country

I disagree. Farage never wielded political power. It is David Cameron who is responible for this debacle. Closely followed bt Boris Johnson and Gove. And Corbyn with his lukewarm support for remain - while privately backing leave- also has his share of responsibility. Complete failure of the pilitical class

Actually I think Teresa May is more damaging. Deeply prejudiced, shockingly stubborn and scarily out of her depth. She is literally ready to destroy the country to remain in power.

And then you have Boris, Corbyn, Gove , Rudd etc. How awful that these are the best politicians the country has to offer. God help us!

I don't know, I think May has done a pretty good job damaging this country as did Cameron. Blair as well. Thatcher. All their cronies. Any politician bowing to the pressure from media and big business in general (which is probably most of them from all the parties).

Why not rufus, he appears to be rather fond of Venezuela and Cuba where that's the status quo.

YABU Jeremy Corbyn has that title....the man will probably bankrupt us should he ever gain power, and talk about dubious associations and alliances...
closely followed by Tony Blair for leading us into a war we didn't want where so many British soldiers lost their lives.

Thatcher
Blair
Cameron

Without Cameron's pathetic leadership and arrogant game-playing stunt Farage would have been a swattable gnat.

margaret

You seen a great one for factual posts and no hyperbole etc

So you are seriously saying that you believe that if Corbyn gets in that anyone disagreeing with his policy will be put in prison

Or to be fair

Anyone the OP doesnt agree with

I would have included May in my list but she is merely presiding over a scrap heap, she didn't compile it. I think she is an awful human being and a crap leader, though.

And im not a Corbyn fan

But i am genuinely confused by the handful of posters who say that he has been the most damaging political figure we have

When he hasnt even done anything yet (some could argue will never do anything)

Farage is just a populist bandwagon jumper with his snout just as much in the trough as the 'elite' he rails against. Not sure why so many see him as a 'man of the people' to be honest.

I'm certainly no supporter of Corbyn, but I think his ideology is more (dangerously) deluded as opposed to purely poisonous like NF. I can't relate to either of them in any way. His rise from a loon in Parliament to rock star has been fascinating, albeit in a scary way. I don't usually hobnob with politicians, but did meet Chuka Umuna just now. How different the political landscape might possibly have been if he hadn't ducked out of the race?

So you are seriously saying that you believe that if Corbyn gets in that anyone disagreeing with his policy will be put in prison

I don't think these things usually happen overnight. But under the last Labour government there was a great curtailment of free speech and 'hate speech' laws which were hugely ambiguously drafted and potentially open to abuse. And funnily enough they worked to stifle criticism of some of Labour's most unpopular policies like immigration.

Corbyn and his close allies seem to be very, very much of the SJW 'you can't say that' school of thought and I very much suspect they would continue down that road.

He is very much of a political stripe which does not favour political freedom. Close allies of his including John McDonnell have made comments criticising democracy and suggesting insurrection and rebellion instead. And at the same time as suppressing 'hate speech' towards their favoured groups, the same people are becoming increasingly aggressive and belligerent towards political opponents.

I don't think it's that far fetched. Have a look at the language coming out of momentum and it's violence against opponents and it seems a distinct possibility.