I sincerely believed that we had seen the last of Nigel Farage, the former leader of UKIP and one of the chief architects of Brexit. With Brexit done, I thought that Farage was done, as well.
But no, he has returned and this time it is not the European Union but the coronavirus. He said lockdowns don’t work. Instead, Farage has proposed targeting those most at risk, like the sick and the elderly, but said ordinary people should not be criminalised for trying to live normal lives such as meeting family for Christmas.
Farage may be many things but he does appear to be in tune with what a sizeable part of Britain is thinking. He proved this with Brexit. He rounded on Prime Minister Boris Johnson´s government. “What we’ve seen in this pandemic I think is a total failure of leadership at almost every level,” he said. His comments could make life even more difficult for Johnson who is already facing a backlash for ordering a second lockdown. His own party is split and now Farage enters the debate.
The majority of people in England support the new lockdown but there is criticism that it has come too late. Johnson like most world leaders is in difficult place and there is no light at the end of the tunnel. People are becoming increasingly angry over the lockdowns and the restrictions even though most agree that they are needed. But Farage has sensed a split in England which he wants to exploit. He has a proven track record and Johnson should be alarmed.