Nigel Farage, the leader of Brexit in the U.K., intends to copy his friend Donald Trump’s success in changing the center-right. After Trump was elected U.S. president, he warmly welcomed Farage. Trump called him “Mr. Brexit.” This meeting in November 2016 at Trump Tower created a strong bond between these two famous and controversial figures in Western politics.
Nigel Farage ‘s Shared Backgrounds
Trump and Farage share a lot in common. Both come from elite backgrounds but have rebranded themselves as political outsiders. They have challenged what is considered acceptable in politics and have been very successful, despite facing many obstacles. Farage once praised Trump as the most resilient and brave person he had ever met during a rally in Arizona for Trump’s 2020 re-election campaign.
As the current U.K. election campaign draws to a close, Farage is following Trump’s tactics closely. He aims to take votes away from the struggling Conservative Party, led by Prime Minister Rishi Sunak. Farage’s announcement to stand for parliament shook up the campaign. Though his party, Reform UK, may not win many seats due to the first-past-the-post system, it is gaining in the polls. Farage positions Reform UK as the real opposition to a likely future Labor government.
Influences from Across the Atlantic
Farage is inspired not only by Trump but also by radical right-wing movements in the U.S. and Canada. His party’s manifesto, called “a contract with the people,” is a nod to Newt Gingrich’s 1994 “contract with America.” Gingrich expressed pride in Farage using his idea.
Farage was a Euroskeptic member of the European Parliament for 20 years. He says Trump learned from watching his speeches. Recently, Farage started using Trump-like language. He mocks his opponents in the same way. For example, he calls Labor Leader Keir Starmer boring by yawning, just like Trump calls Joe Biden “Sleepy Joe.”
Mutual Learning and Support
Raheem Kassam, a former aide to Farage and editor of National Pulse, said both leaders have learned from each other. Farage learned the importance of production value and scale from Trump, while Trump’s team, including aide Stephen Miller, drew from Farage’s speeches. Farage is also close to Trump’s former adviser Steve Bannon and is part of Trump’s wider circle of supporters.
Both Trump and Farage have given speeches at CPAC, the Conservative Political Action Conference. Farage struggled at first but soon adapted his message. By 2016, he was rallying against globalists. Farage has also grown close to former Republican presidential hopeful Vivek Ramaswamy, interviewing him and praising his ideas.
Nigel Farage ’s Ambitions in the U.K.
Farage’s various political parties, including UKIP, the Brexit Party, and now Reform UK, have often pressured the Tories into difficult positions. Now, he aims to take over the center-right, much like Trump did with the Republican Party. Richard Johnson, a politics lecturer, noted that Farage, like Trump, came from outside the center-right establishment but now seeks to reshape it from within.
Farage is very popular among grassroots Tory members. Insiders predict he would win if he ran for Conservative leadership. Douglas Carswell, a former Tory MP who joined UKIP, said Farage could lead the conservative movement in the U.K. He believes this is because the Tory party has failed.
Farage also takes inspiration from Canada’s Reform party, which challenged and eventually overtook the Conservative party in the 1990s. Reform’s platform included tax cuts and opposition to multiculturalism, leading to a massive victory in 1993. Farage has described the Canadian party’s influence on him as significant and aims for a similar takeover in the U.K.
Changing Plans
At first, Farage planned to leave U.K. politics this year. He wanted a job in American politics. He hoped to work in Trump’s possible second administration. However, the rapid decline of the U.K. Tories made him change his mind. Farage told POLITICO that he believes he will win and, if so, will focus less on America. Kassam added that Farage’s heart is still in the U.K., and he could not resist getting involved at this critical time.
For Farage, the upcoming U.K. election on July 4 is just the beginning of his mission to reshape British politics.
