Nigel Farage

[Dave-G]

What do we think he's up to after leaving UKIP - another political party? It seemed he did his job till yesterday... but maybe its not been done now.

[mick miller]

Presenting on the wireless. Taking his EU pension. 

[JohnfromUK]

In my view, Nigel Farage's problem has always been that he has been a 'one man band'.  He has many fine qualities;

• He is a very good speaker
• He has things clear in his own mind - especially on EU, and EU related matters
• He can express his policies well
• He has a good manner (i.e. he comes across as approachable friendly and open)

However,

• He doesn't seem to be able to delegate
• He hasn't managed to maintain a credible party
• He probably and I'm sure inadvertently attract people who wish to use him for their own ends (like racism) (I do not believe he is racist himself at all)
• He hasn't managed to ever win a seat in the UK parliament
• UKIP was essentially a one issue party - leaving the EU.  It always seemed decidedly weak on non-EU issues, and it wasn't clear what Farage's take on other aspects of government policy was.

I cannot see him ever being able to form/lead an 'electable' party, and I also cannot see him wishing to take a lesser role in any other party.  I hope that he will continue his role in broadcasting because his success in UKIP shows that his views are important.  I for one will always have an ear for what he says.

[oowee]

13 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

In my view, Nigel Farage's problem has always been that he has been a 'one man band'.  He has many fine qualities;

• He is a very good speaker
• He has things clear in his own mind - especially on EU, and EU related matters
• He can express his policies well
• He has a good manner (i.e. he comes across as approachable friendly and open)

However,

• He doesn't seem to be able to delegate
• He hasn't managed to maintain a credible party
• He probably and I'm sure inadvertently attract people who wish to use him for their own ends (like racism) (I do not believe he is racist himself at all)
• He hasn't managed to ever win a seat in the UK parliament
• UKIP was essentially a one issue party - leaving the EU.  It always seemed decidedly weak on non-EU issues, and it wasn't clear what Farage's take on other aspects of government policy was.

I cannot see him ever being able to form/lead an 'electable' party, and I also cannot see him wishing to take a lesser role in any other party.  I hope that he will continue his role in broadcasting because his success in UKIP shows that his views are important.  I for one will always have an ear for what he says.

That is a good summary. I have met him on a couple of occasions he is very personable. 

I personally do not think it right, that after being elected by UK voters to do a job in the EU he does not turn up and do it. To then take the hefty salary and expenses could be seen in other scenarios as corrupt. To then take the pension is .............................................. I do not have the words.

I worked for Government for over 30 years and often worked 24/7 my life was my job. To see the contempt for which the likes of Farage treat the role of public service and his willingness to discard the trust given to him by British voters is beyond disgust. To then take the pension that went with the job fills me with loathing. The same loathing that I would reserve for those that go out and rob pensioners. 

[Scully]

7 minutes ago, oowee said:

That is a good summary. I have met him on a couple of occasions he is very personable. 

I personally do not think it right, that after being elected by UK voters to do a job in the EU he does not turn up and do it. To then take the hefty salary and expenses could be seen in other scenarios as corrupt. To then take the pension is .............................................. I do not have the words.

I worked for Government for over 30 years and often worked 24/7 my life was my job. To see the contempt for which the likes of Farage treat the role of public service and his willingness to discard the trust given to him by British voters is beyond disgust. To then take the pension that went with the job fills me with loathing. The same loathing that I would reserve for those that go out and rob pensioners. 

Not sure I agree with this; couldn’t the same be said for Cameron? He made the decision to give a referendum then left when it didn’t go his way. I’m pretty sure he’ll be taking a pension. 

I am disappointed that we don’t have the benefit of Farages’ televised logic and common sense on a daily basis throughout the Brexit negotiations, but if not for him we wouldn’t even have got a referendum. I think he deserves his pension and sincerely hope he enjoys it. 

[JohnfromUK]

16 minutes ago, oowee said:

I personally do not think it right, that after being elected by UK voters to do a job in the EU he does not turn up and do it.

I don't know what his attendance record has been, but I have quite frequently seen him speaking in the EU assembly (on TV), so has has attended.  You could argue that as a party leader elected on a UKIP manifesto, his place was representing his party in the country and his EU 'constituency' in addition to sitting in the EU assembly.  As an MEP, he gets a pension which as fas as I know is not related to any attendance?

 

8 minutes ago, Scully said:

couldn’t the same be said for Cameron?

No I think not; he sat as MP then had ministerial and prime ministerial offices - and I think his attendance hasn't been questioned.  He resigned as an MP pretty soon after resigning as PM.  His (MP's) pension was earned for the time he was an MP, and his ministerial pension for the time he held government office.

Those who have NEVER attended (I can only think if Sinn Fein) presumably also get an MPs pension - and I would regard that as highly questionable.

[Scully]

1 minute ago, JohnfromUK said:

I don't know what his attendance record has been, but I have quite frequently seen him speaking in the EU assembly (on TV), so has has attended.  You could argue that as a party leader elected on a UKIP manifesto, his place was representing his party in the country and his EU 'constituency' in addition to sitting in the EU assembly.  As an MEP, he gets a pension which as fas as I know is not related to any attendance?

 

No I think not; he sat as MP then had ministerial and prime ministerial offices - and I think his attendance hasn't been questioned.  He resigned as an MP pretty soon after resigning as PM.  His (MP's) pension was earned for the time he was an MP, and his ministerial pension for the time he held government office.

Those who have NEVER attended (I can only think if Sinn Fein) presumably also get an MPs pension - and I would regard that as highly questionable.

Then we’ll have to agree to disagree. I was referring to the not seeing the job through aspect; Cameron was elected into office, a job he packed in as soon as the decision didn’t go his way. 

[oowee]

6 minutes ago, JohnfromUK said:

Those who have NEVER attended (I can only think if Sinn Fein) presumably also get an MPs pension - and I would regard that as highly questionable.

I don't know for a fact but I think that Sinn Fein state as part of there manifesto that they will not take their seat in the UK but do the role in NI. 

[scobydog]

Cameron left because he was a staunch remoaner, and didn't think it was right to carry on after the vote went against his belief that we would be better off in the EU.

[JohnfromUK]

1 minute ago, Scully said:

Then we’ll have to agree to disagree. I was referring to the not seeing the job through aspect; Cameron was elected into office, a job he packed in as soon as the decision didn’t go his way. 

Happy with to disagree; I think he was right to resign.  He made a fool of himself with the 'doom' campaign.  It would never have worked to have someone who had vocally lead the 'remain' charge and had just done a (poor) negotiation with the EU to try and take the lead on leave negotiations - which he had campaigned strongly against.  His position would have been untenable (even more than May's). 

[yod dropper]

33 minutes ago, oowee said:

To see the contempt for which the likes of Farage treat the role of public service and his willingness to discard the trust given to him by British voters is beyond disgust. To then take the pension that went with the job fills me with loathing. The same loathing that I would reserve for those that go out and rob pensioners. 

Now you know how many of us feel about politicians who won't carry out the results of the referendum. 

[JohnfromUK]

1 minute ago, oowee said:

I don't know for a fact but I think that Sinn Fein state as part of there manifesto that they will not take their seat in the UK but do the role in NI. 

I don't know either - but I assume they take their Westminster pay ........ AND their pay for the NI assembly if they also have seats there?  But I am guessing.

[yod dropper]

Selection and maintenance of the aim.

Anything other than leaving the EU is a distraction. Pretty much all of the media wrote off UKIP saying their job was done. We can see it's far from done.

 

[oowee]

Just now, JohnfromUK said:

I don't know either - but I assume they take their Westminster pay ........ AND their pay for the NI assembly if they also have seats there?  But I am guessing.

It's a single payment but their pay has just been cut as they are not doing the NI part. Looks like they do not have a job we should stop all of the pay. 

[JohnfromUK]

3 minutes ago, yod dropper said:

Pretty much all of the media wrote off UKIP saying their job was done. We can see it's far from done.

At the moment - with Farage resigned and a string of unsatisfactory leaders in a short period - I think at present although leave isn't 'done', I think UKIP is a spent force.

[yod dropper]

1 minute ago, JohnfromUK said:

I think UKIP is a spent force.

Potentially though I think they're still polling about 8% or 1 in 12 voters.

[redial]

I think Nigel has done a good job  but as said he was a one man band.

He was fantastic on programmes like Question Time.

As for a pension, good luck to him and enjoy.

 

[JohnfromUK]

1 minute ago, yod dropper said:

Potentially though I think they're still polling about 8% or 1 in 12 voters.

Under our system (and whether that is fair and right is a whole separate issue) 8% gets you precisely nowhere in seats in Parliament.  None.  Even when Farage has stood himself, he has failed to win a seat - and as has been said - he has many 'winning qualities' on a personal basis.

[Mighty Ruler]

1 hour ago, JohnfromUK said:

 

• He hasn't managed to ever win a seat in the UK parliament

No, but isn’t the Tory who beat him last time he stood facing charges for overspending? So he probably would if the Tories hadn’t cheated.

I think UKIP is finished as a mainstream party under Batten, I support Tommy Robinson up to a point but don’t think he should be in any party that has electoral hopes.

[panoma1]

Unless he soon does something positive in UK politics, he will remain a "yesterday man"

[misser]

When one looks at the fact that lord and lady Kinnock have has a lavish 10 million from the MEP gravy train and to my knowledge have contributed very little for Britain in the EU then Farage's pension is well deserved...don't seem to remember the good lord and lady (how's that for supposedly socialists??) standing up and telling the EU members a few hard and cold facts...  atb...misser

[blackbird]

He will probably on a plane soon to the US to be given a job by his pal Trump after he & Borris have put this country back 25 yrs 

[Westward]

Farage did a fantastic job waking the country up to some (by no means all) of the iniquities of the EU. Sadly his dream of being freed from the shackles of EU membership are not being realised by a PM desperate to do any a deal at any price just to secure her place in history.

Farage realises we're still bound to the EU, probably forever, and will never again have control of things like our own fishing grounds - and it's all under the "leadership" of an unelected PM who never wanted to leave in the first place - so what choices does he have?

Unlike most of them he's not a career politician and does know what it's like to earn a living by working at a proper job, so he'll do fine with radio work and public speaking.

[misser]

maybe better to put the county back 45 years...at least we'd only be in the common market then......atb...misser

[TIGHTCHOKE]

35 minutes ago, blackbird said:

He will probably on a plane soon to the US to be given a job by his pal Trump after he & Borris have put this country back 25 yrs 

He'll be up for a Knighthood soon!