Unresigned
The Villain: UKIP has its own, unique leadership issues
In the aftermath of the feeblest election in living memory, there’s something genuinely entertaining going on over at UKIP HQ.
This time, it’s not a dodgy expenses claim, a ropey cod-reggae anthem or a bad case of foot-in-mouth – after all, those things are de rigueur at the purple palace. (Pardon my French, Ukippers – literally).
No, the spectacle on this occasion is Nigel Farage’s decision to resign. And then unresign.
Before he’s possibly forced out in some sort of coup (again, pardon my French, Farage and co – if only there were some good old-fashioned English words I could use instead).
See, Farage made the bold promise prior to the election that, in the event he was unable to win the South Thanet seat he was contesting, he would resign as leader of UKIP.
So, lo and behold, when the result came in, Farage was faced with having to deliver on his promise. And, good to his word – unlike many politicians – he offered up his resignation.
What should follow is a period of reflection followed by a leadership contest, right? Well, this is UKIP, don’t forget – and they tend to do things differently.
Instead, UKIP’s members rejected Farage’s resignation, forcing the famously publicity-shy leader to be thrust back into the spotlight.
But hang on. By failing to convince his members to accept his resignation, hasn’t Farage demonstrated that he’s lost control of the party? Then surely he should resign – again. I hope their building has revolving doors.
The UKIP strategy seems to have come back to haunt it. While the party would have been delighted over the past few years at their leader’s baffling ubiquity across mainstream media, it has now left them with the task of replacing the irreplaceable. Who can fill Farage’s boots?
And now, there are further developments, with in-fighting, mud-slinging and threats of in-party sackings filling the headlines. It’s all turned into a bit of a mess – and has taken everybody’s attention away from the fact that, somehow, UKIP actually performed quite well in the election.
Now, the party couldn’t be more laughable if its campaign bus was replaced with individual unicycles or a giant clown car complete with falling-off doors and a smoking bonnet.
But for anybody who’s not the biggest fan of UKIP, it’s fun to watch from afar as the party limps its way towards a large helping of schadenfreude. (Damn, sorry Nige – there I go again).
About the author
