Between David Cameron’s return to the cabinet table and Nigel Farage once more spouting about “European greed” on our television sets, you’d be forgiven for thinking we’ve somehow landed back in 2016. All that’s missing is Nick Clegg screwing over university students and Ed Balls busting moves on the Strictly dance floor.
Just as he did back then, the so-called “Mr Brexit” has been working the British public. Instead of using traditional campaign methods this time, however, he’s opted to go on I’m a Celebrity – because, in light of Matt Hancock’s redemption tour last year, what better way to curry favour and secure national treasure status than to eat camel penis on primetime TV?
At the very best, Farage has attempted to show willingness by being a sort of grafter in the camp – I mean, if cleaning the dishes doesn’t prove he understands the plight of us ordinary folk, what does?
But at the very worst, he’s been using this platform to get a foothold back in politics and to dispel beliefs that his views on immigration are anything other than racist and regressive. He even acknowledged that he’d happily take on bushtucker trials because they take up “25 per cent” of airtime.
Now, some would quite rightly ask why ITV decided to give Farage a stage in the first place – especially so close to a general election. But what I find even more confusing is the network’s decision not to give Farage a decent opponent in there.
Yes, Nella Rose and Fred Sirieix have both attempted to challenge his views and actions ahead of the EU referendum (the latter giving a slightly more effective response than “I read it on the internet”); but neither are politicians and so they haven’t quite managed to hold the slippery toad (who, incidentally, was eating eel for breakfast) to account.
The distinct lack of effective argument and debate only seems to me to enhance Farage’s superiority complex, and risks making some viewers at home believe he’s a reasonable, level-headed chap who can hold his own and who clearly knows more about the topic than anyone else.
And, of course, Farage appears to realise it is paying off to demonstrate this “other side” of him. During last night’s episode, fellow campmate Josie Gibson read Nigel’s letter to him, in which his children lauded him for showing people “who he really is”. Some viewers even suspected that them telling him “the boat is afloat and everything’s running smoothly” was a coded message, letting him know his masterplan was unfolding exactly as he’d planned.
Indeed, Prime Minister Rishi Sunak declared yesterday that Farage would be welcome to join the “broad church” that is the Conservative Party – just two months after he attended the Tory Party conference.
Boris Johnson’s father Stanley also recently spoke to GB News about how Farage could help the Tories win the Red Wall seats they lost back in 2019. “I think we cannot afford to have a man of that talent not in our camp at the next election,” he said.
What’s more, if the polling figures are anything to go by, Farage’s foray in the world of reality TV is paying off – with the Reform UK party, of which he is an honorary president, almost hitting 10 per cent.
I’m sure many will rejoice over these tell-tale signs, but I for one am terrified of history repeating itself – yes, even more so than the nightly prospect of seeing Farage’s bare bottom.
To me, there is no way that any of this is a coincidence and that his stint in the jungle is anything but a calculated ploy to get back in the game and keep the Tories exactly where they are. The “talent” Stanley Johnson spoke of is not his ability to serve the British people, it’s his ability to manipulate and get to the top – by any means possible.
Yes, Farage has shown his true self. But haven’t we seen enough?
