'Affable' Farage impresses despite 'liars' in UKIP ranks
Cigar-smoking leader wins praise as his party comes under scrutiny ahead of Thursday's local elections
NIGEL FARAGE labelled some of his own candidates "liars" this morning, but the UKIP leader remained cool as he faced fresh criticism about the ugly face of some members of his party.
He said his party did not have the resources to trawl through the social media sites of all its candidates. It was a sticky moment for Farage, who had a furious spat at the weekend with veteran Tory MP Ken Clarke. Clarke accused UKIP of being packed with "racists".
But Farage drew praise for the affable way he handled the questions when he was confronted by John Humphrys, the Today programme's interrogator-in-chief. Tim Montgomery, former editor of the Tory grassroots website, ConservativeHome immediately Tweeted: "Stellar performance from @Nigel_Farage on @BBCr4today. Friendly. Direct. Reasonable. Stated some compelling views. A formidable opponent."
The Week
Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.
Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.
Farage, a cigar smoker, went on to defend UKIP policies for the lifting of the smoking ban in bars and laughed off Humphrys' suggestion that he was no better than a taxi-driver spouting right-wing policies from the cab.
Farage – described by Boris Johnson yesterday as a "rather engaging geezer" – has plenty to be affable about. A YouGov poll in The Sun this morning gives UKIP a record 14 per cent of the vote ahead of Thursday's local elections in the Tory shires. No wonder the Tories are getting rattled and David Cameron has gone on the attack, warning Tory voters that if they vote for UKIP, they will get Labour by default.
Farage's relatively affable encounter with Humphrys was in complete contrast to Ed Miliband's tetchy "car crash" interview with Martha Kearney on the World at One programme yesterday. The Labour leader was challenged more than ten times to admit his party's plans for reviving the economy would mean more immediate borrowing.
A free daily email with the biggest news stories of the day – and the best features from TheWeek.com
-
The ‘menopause gold rush’Under the Radar Women vulnerable to misinformation and marketing of ‘unregulated’ products
-
Voting Rights Act: SCOTUS’s pivotal decisionFeature A Supreme Court ruling against the Voting Rights Act could allow Republicans to redraw districts and solidify control of the House
-
No Kings rally: What did it achieve?Feature The latest ‘No Kings’ march has become the largest protest in U.S. history
-
Five takeaways from Plaid Cymru’s historic Caerphilly by-election winThe Explainer The ‘big beasts’ were ‘humbled’ but there was disappointment for second-placed Reform too
-
The new age of book banningThe Explainer How America’s culture wars collided with parents and legislators who want to keep their kids away from ‘dangerous’ ideas
-
Taking the low road: why the SNP is still standing strongTalking Point Party is on track for a fifth consecutive victory in May’s Holyrood election, despite controversies and plummeting support
-
Five policies from the Tory conferenceIn Depth Party leader Kemi Badenoch has laid out the Conservative plan for a potential future government
-
The end of ‘golden ticket’ asylum rightsThe Explainer Refugees lose automatic right to bring family over and must ‘earn’ indefinite right to remain
-
Does Reform have a Russia problem?Talking Point Nigel Farage is ‘in bed with Putin’, claims Rachel Reeves, after party’s former leader in Wales pleaded guilty to taking bribes from the Kremlin
-
The Liberal Democrats: on the march?Talking Point After winning their highest number of seats in 2024, can the Lib Dems marry ‘stunts’ with a ‘more focused electoral strategy’?
-
Is Britain turning into ‘Trump’s America’?Today’s Big Question Direction of UK politics reflects influence and funding from across the pond