Nigel Farage has joined the growing list of politicians to resign after stepping aside as Ukip leader this morning. It was a surprise move, which Farage said was brought about by him feeling that he had ‘done his bit’ following the Brexit vote last month. In a speech, the Ukip leader said that he wanted his life back. So what next for the party he leaves behind? On the podcast, Isabel Hardman tells Fraser Nelson:
‘Given Farage resigned and then un-resigned after the General Election and then spent the next few months really taking out his political rivals, it was starting to look as though he was gearing up for an eternal reign as Ukip leader. He had a strange (referendum) campaign and there were lots of people in Ukip who feared for the future of the party who thought that the referendum result was there ideal opportunity to seize voters in Labour’s heartlands but actually they were too crabby as a party and too disorganised, so this is a real change and an opportunity for the party.’
James Forsyth also says on the podcast that he thinks Farage’s decision to step aside could present a big opportunity for the party. He tells Fraser:
‘There’s some interesting chatter this morning that they might pick a leader and a deputy leader designed to appeal as a kind of balanced ticket: one designed to appeal in the north and one designed to appeal in the Tory heartlands.’
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