Friday 28 February 2014

Farage Standing Down?

From the International Business Times:
Nigel Farage dramatically raised the stakes in Ukip's quest for political power by vowing to resign as leader if his party fails to get any seats in the 2015 general election.
Farage made the pledge on the day he told the anti-EU party's spring conference: "This is our moment.
After speaking in Torquay of "ruthless targeting" to win seats at the general election, Farage put his own future on the line.
"I said in my speech we could get several MPs, or a good number of MPs, in Westminster in 2015 provided, and I made it absolutely clear, that would not happen unless we clear this hurdle effectively on May 22 [the local and European elections this year].
"I stand by that. This is the election Ukip has waited 20 years for."
When asked if he would stand down in the event of the party not returning any MPs to the House, he said: "I would have thought so, good lord yes. I would be out the door before you could say Jack Robinson."

8 comments:

  1. Jack Robinson or Abu Qutada .

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  2. Since he smokes, he can never be elected. Therefore he should as much step down currently and avoid the embarrassment later. Smokers or anyone who represents them can never be allowed to hold office in this or any other country in the world.

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    1. 'avin a larf are we? Barry O'Blimey is a pack a day man... but you knew that?.

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  3. I take that comment as a joke too. Who the hell cares whether he smokes? It's his business.

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    1. Julia - yep - but there's many anti smoking nutters I've come across for whom that'd be an article of faith...

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  4. Cameron smoked, I believe, when he became PM. I believe Cleggy still does. Barry O' Barmy of America - also a smoker.

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  5. Given the way the polls are going and that UKIP's vote always falls back after the Euro elections, the likelihood of Farage leaving in 2015 is higher than many might think.

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  6. The liklihood is he'll still be an MEP after the May EU elections.

    He survived the attempt at murder by that aircraft pilot and still has serious back problems. Lesser folk would have cut back or quit after something that up front and personal. I also admire the way he handled that fiasco in Edinburgh when our rent-a-crowd had a go at him.

    Ignoring all else, the guy's one heck of an orator and I would very much enjoy him going head to head with Cameron, Clegg and Miliband.

    He didn't ask for the Chairmanship of the party, yet he's done more to raise its profile than his predecessor. He is in my opinion the Unique Selling Point of UKIP.

    On the other hand he's being very pragmatic. He knows if UKIP doesn't win at least one seat in Westminster in 2015, then it's in part because of him personally.

    Compare what he's promised to Geert Wilders who forced the Dutch election in 2012 and was in part responsible for their share of the vote plummeting. Geert's still in position, hoping to turn things around in a couple of months.

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