I’m sure by now you’ve all heard the shocking news of Nigel Farage’s unexpected resignation as leader of UKIP, but what is he planning on doing next?
Well, all we know so far is that he will be keeping his position as an MEP for the next two years (ironic?) and that he has spoken about Britain needing a ‘Brexit Prime Minister’ – but how could he become the ‘Brexit Prime Minister’?
It’s no hidden secret that the Conservative Party are in power and, chances are, they’re going to be in power until the next general election in 2020.
In the aftermath of David Cameron’s resignation following the EU Referendum result, five Conservative MPs have stepped forward to take part in a bid for Tory leadership – Michael Gove, Theresa May, Stephen Crabb, Liam Fox, and Andrea Leadsom.
Andrea Leadsom is currently the bookies’ second favourite to become Prime Minister in October and has already been endorsed by numerous UKIP members and politicians.
Just yesterday, speaking on The Andrew Marr Show about UKIP support and Nigel Farage in particular, Leadsom said:
I’m delighted by the wide range of support but what we need is somebody who will lead the campaign and really believes in the opportunities of leaving the EU.
Now think what you want but that certainly sounds like a reference to Farage to me.
If Farage’s intentions are to join the Conservative Party then he stands a very good chance of being sworn in.
He undeniably pioneered the successful Brexit campaign, a campaign which is currently dominating and changing the entire United Kingdom’s political agenda, and will continue to do so for the foreseeable future.
If Farage was able to join the Tories then there stands an incredibly good chance he would be given a position in the cabinet. And, in case you’re wondering – it is possible to become part of the cabinet despite not being an MP.
On 3 October 2008, Peter Mandelson, who was not an MP at the time, was made Secretary of State by Gordon Brown.
Despite being largely controversial – becoming a cabinet member without being an MP is a very possible reality for Farage in the near future.
Although their support has increased over the years, the chances are that UKIP would never have got into power. Following their failure to get more than one seat in the 2015 election, the hype surrounding the right-wing party seems to have died down massively.
As well as this, UKIP’s main goals – to leave the EU, reduce immigration, and promote the growth of businesses in the UK (among many others) – are now relatively identical to the goals of the Conservative Party following Brexit – so there is essentially little need for a UKIP party to exist, which means many UKIP politicians could be swayed into joining the Tories.
Now, if Farage is accepted into the Conservatives and then given a place in the cabinet, by 2020 there stands a very good chance that Farage could have battled his way into leadership of the Tories and will be the so-called ‘Brexit Prime Minister’ he thinks we all need.
Are these his true intentions?
What do you think?
