Nigel Farage’s election U-turn could be deadly for the Tories

No wonder that Nigel Farage has decided that he would rather be leader of Reform UK than merely honorary president, and that he would like another shot at standing as an MP in Clacton. He looks as if he is the only politician – with the possible exception of Ed Davey – who is actually enjoying this campaign. Indeed, he seems to have engaged what used to be Boris Johnson’s secret political weapon: optimism. That could prove to be deadly for the Conservatives.

Farage hasn’t always been all smiles on the campaign trail. On the contrary, in 2015 Ukip’s then economics spokesman, Patrick O’Flynn, was moved to describe Farage – his then leader – as ‘snarling, thin-skinned and aggressive’; a comment for which O’Flynn later apologised, and resigned – shortly before almost everyone in Ukip also walked away.

Farage has always traded on public fears, and the message hasn’t really changed.