On the morning of the Referendum vote, I texted Nigel Farage – as the Heritage and Tourism spokesman of his party – to say he ‘had fought a hard battle and deserved to win’. He texted back: ‘One dares to hope’.
Like most of the best English people I know Nigel has a strong sense of loyalty and decency and also loves a drink. He doesn’t take himself – or politics – that seriously. Like Jimmy Goldsmith he gave up a business career to fight his cause. He only pursued his convictions so hard because he believed in leaving the autocratic and anti-sovereign EU – and risking the opprobrium of many – regardless of career or any financial rewards.
Well, now he has resigned from Ukip, and I have decided to follow his example. I wish the party well although I fear that it may be heading in an Enoch Powellian ‘far right’ direction.
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