Farage Returns?

[Khandro]

It really looks like "thinking hard" is a euphemism for "I shall".
http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/857687/brexit-news-theresa-may-speech-eu-nigel-farage-ukip

With the polls showing that UKIP is already on the rise again under the excellent interim leadership of Steve Crowther, which can only continue with Nigel at the helm, what will be the consequences of a strong third party?

[THECORBYLOON]

I know there's not a new party, there's not a new leader of UKIP for that matter. If the speculation proves to be correct, there will be a few folk on here who'll be torn between the two.

[youngmafbog]

I doubt the 3-4 people on AB you are talking about will make much difference!

[mikey4444]

Spicey....you are now clearly using threatening language.

[Kromovaracun]

I really don't see what use it is to deny that Farage has any sway at all. He clearly does. I've got no love for the man because I think he seems like a grubby opportunist who starts fires to gain influence. But he's clearly an extremely intelligent and effective politician who has achieved an awful lot with very very few resources in a manner that is pretty much unprecedented. Pretending he doesn't exist or can't do anything clearly is not going to work.

Re: the OP, I think the important difference with Macron is that Macron achieved his victory under a very different (i.e. much fairer and basically functional) voting system, which the UK doesn't have. The reason the SNP was able to quickly ascend to third party status is because they had support which was highly concentrated geographically - the key to winning under FPTP. It could well be that UKIP/The All-New Farage Party threatens to suck up votes from both Labour and Conservatives as they did in 2015. But Labour also has a more populist leadership than it did at the time, and we don't yet know who the Tory leader will be in the next election. At the very least, the Tories will surely be very wary about making concessions to their right wing, because it backfired on them so strongly under Cameron.

[Zacs-Master]

Don't worry Mikey, it's standard practise for Spicy and his ilk. He has no real reply so resorts to personal insults.

[gulliver1]

" I who know everything " has only been a member on A/B for a few weeks , but has already decided any aber who disagree with his opinion have no knowlege at all.
Only his opinion is correct , the rest of us know nothing ,
wonder how long it will be before he becomes { Old Spice}

[Spicerack]

All this abuse from the 'brains trust' for trying to politely correct one of them.
gulliver1/// If ever there was a come back kid it would have to be Jeremy Corbyn ,Not long ago the RRP members on here were saying he was finished, some CON's on here even joined his party to try and get him ousted, how wrong they were.///

Spicerack/// No-one joined to get him ousted. They joined to get him elected.///

[Khandro]

//As regards the AFD, exchange the word Muslim for the word Jew, and we are back in the 1940's again.//

...or the present day Labour Party?

and btw, by this evening it looks like the AfD will have bums on seats in the Bundestag (German Parliament) for the first time.

What was that song... Oh the times they are a' changin' ?

[Zacs-Master]

Changin' .....or an eerie echo of Times past?

[Old_Geezer]

Everything goes in cycles as one generation is fed up with the existing failings. Nowt much new under the sun.

Farage, was he ever really away ?

[anotheoldgit]

http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-4914006/Nigel-Farage-plans-new-Ukip-fight-Brexit.html

[Spicerack]

Farage just said (on LBC) that all the stories linking him to a new party are rubbish.
He did say that if UKIP 'became' a hard right, anti-Islam party they'd be finished.

[Khandro]

I don't think it is his style to allow this to slowly seep out, he will want to announce it with a flourish when the time comes.

[Kromovaracun]

Well to be fair I also remember Farage firmly denying he had anything to do with the Trump campaign (and even saying the media was lying about him being in the states), before promptly appearing onstage at a rally. So I would perhaps treat his denials with some degree of skepticism.