To ask why on earth Farage is given so much airtime?

[DorothyL]

He's nothing at all. Why why why do broadcasters give him so much space to air his views???

I knew I’d get that sort of response

Glad I’m not the only one Viviennemary 🙂 I agree with you

I like him too- but can’t be bothered with a brexit debate....zzzz

Because he's reactionary and he provokes strong opinions in people. He's like Jeremy Clarkson or Tony Blair - they're all irritating and opinionated and large sections of the population can't stand them - but no one is lukewarm about them - so people watch to see what shit-stirring thing is going to come out of their mouths. Same with Trump. He's so awful and the things he says are so outrageous that lots of people can't help but watch. It's click-bait, it's viewer numbers, etc.

Same here Onlyfools....

I absolutely agree. I can't stand the man and think he shouldn't be given airtime. UKIP have only ever had 1 MP and he was a Tory defector, who has now returned to the fold.

Wouldn't it be totally undemocratic to deny him airtime? Surely you wouldn't want that!

He gets airtime because, as stated, he was hugely influential in forcing the Conservatives to give a referendum. For someone with no seat, history will remember him as a key figure.

He acquits himself well in interviews - comes across as coherent and knowledgeable, which is more than a lot of actual MPs can manage these days looking at you Diane Abbott.
He is not afraid to express his opinion, which again, is novel from politicians, who are in danger of getting splinters in their arses from all the fence sitting. It's TV gold for a producer.

Why give him airtime - in what basis? Oh because he’s the leader of... on no, he’s the spokesperson of... um, he... no hang on It’ll come to me... oh oh I’ve got it - his day job is...

Nope. He’s good tv because he is loud, opinionated and absolutely shameless. Like Boris Johnson.

And so long as we have a first past the post system, number of MPs doesn't necessarily correlate with popularity of a party or politician.

UKIP got 4 million votes with Farage as leader, as much as SNP. I dislike everything he says, but he represents a lot of people's views.

I resent him for the blatent skiving. He doesn't do any MEP work. He spends all his time doing other stuff. What a pillock.

No idea. He's anti EU but continues to work as an MEP so he can get the pay and pension.
In what other situation would that not be considered hypocrisy?

Stating the obvious he gets air time because he is now a radio journalist with his own show on LBC. He's also an MEP.

Really its like asking why does Tim Farron or George Galloway get interviewed. They are political commentators.

He has such a massive ego he can't give up his notoriety. He's got what he wanted, we are leaving the EU so there is no point to UKIP any more, they are only a one trick party. However Frogface loves the fame so much that he ensures he stays in the media, god knows why the media go along with it. Let's take bets to see how long it is before he's the UKIP leader. Again.

Hasn’t he started up his own party? The ‘I’m nigel, I’m fab’ party or some such.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if he did that. Remember Robert Kilroy Silk when he invented his own one man party? Twats.

@Whiterabbitears I think RKS' Party was Veritas.

He is also a massive arse.

Veritas! Yes that was it! They are both of the same ilk, attention seeking knobs.

He gets airtime because lots of people like him, plus he’s the reason we’re leaving the EU so he’s hardly a ‘nobody’

Because he went from nowhere, politically, to persuading 17 million people to vote for us to leave Europe. He even told the EU 20 years ago what he intended.

Whatever you think of his politics, it seems he has a knack for reading the public mood.

Or manipulating it.

Exactly, Fekko, he told blatant lies (for example about the NHS) during the referendum campaign, and exploited public fears of mass immigration.

But ‘frogface’ made me laugh though.

Oh lord let’s not start a brexit debate...because lies were told on both sides (cough PESCO) ...

Because he is a major political figure and an important pro-Brexit spokesman. And yes, he is still an MEP.

etap - you forgot one: 2015 General Election. Ukip 3,881,099 votes, 1 seat. Scot Nats 1,454,436 votes.... 56 seats.

And the amount of self-righteous, PC hate for Farage on here is appalling - do any of you people have the slightest respect for democracy, or only when it delivers a result you like?