Even if you despise Nigel Farage, and there are certainly those who do, the nation does actually owe him a favour (or more appropriately, a good drink). Say what you want about him, but big Nige is that rarest of birds – one whose name gets put forward to the honours committee for genuine services to the country, rather than mere reward from a grateful PM. In Farage’s case, one might even argue he deserves recognition for services to freedom itself.
And yet, it was revealed this morning that Farage has been turned down for a knighthood on five separate occasions. Boris Johnson was the last PM to nominate him, but Farage is already a serial rejectee of the honours committee, as well as having (allegedly) been previously blocked his own MP – Douglas Carswell.
It’s not difficult to see why Farage provokes such vitriol in his opponents. He is a friend and ally of Donald Trump, an unabashed Thatcherite, a climate-sceptic and free-marketeer. He attended the public school Dulwich College (as did I, incidentally), was accused of being a dictator at UKIP, and famously stated that the ‘basic principle’ of Enoch Powell’s ‘Rivers of Blood’ speech was correct.
None of which I consider more than vaguely newsworthy, but even if you deem his past a cancelling offence, it would still make the realisation of a Farage knighthood nowhere near as controversial as his enemies claim. Let’s face facts, Mr Brexit is not quite up there with children’s favourite Jimmy Saville, beloved leader Nicolae Ceaușescu, and the whiter-than-white Robert Mugabe – all of whom received knighthoods; at least, not yet anyway.
Moreover, I wouldn’t nominate Farage for an award on the grounds of services to Brexit. I’d be much happier knighting him for exposing corruption so prevalent at the upper echelons of society, and to which he has so often been subjected: ‘our man on the inside’, so to speak. However abhorrent you find them, Farage’s views align with millions across the nation – which means an attack on him is an attack on those voters, further down the line.
As our man at Westminster (even though he never made it through the front door), no one has done more than Farage to bring home the utter contempt MP’s feel towards the opinions of the plebs. Clearly fearing the presence of Farage as an elected MP, the Conservative Party was happy to break the rules on spending to ensure he did not win last time around: ‘The truth of it is anywhere I stood they would cheat. They would break the law, they just would. No one went to prison last time, the result stood, one person got a suspended sentence’ Farage commented in 2022.
As our man at the European Union, Farage spent decades exposing the corruption, lack of accountability, and sinister plans such as the establishment of an EU army; for which he was roundly mocked, until such proposals were found to be true.
The Tories rejected the offer of an electoral pact with Reform UK in 2019 to get Brexit done, but were then found to be offering inducements to Reform candidates to stand down, with Farage himself twice offered a peerage to step aside. Despite this, Farage did the decent thing and stood hundreds of candidates down in order to get Brexit done – delivering Johnson a (lamentably squandered) 80-seat majority.
As our man on the beaches, Farage was the first major commentator to draw attention to the hordes of illegals crossing the English Channel, and the government’s policy of stashing them in stately homes while withholding the information . And most recently, Farage has been the subject of the shameful and dishonest debanking by Coutts. An internal report described him as a ‘disingenuous grifter’, characterised by ‘xenophobic, chauvinistic and racist views’. Farage released a copy to the press, and the public outcry has been reassuring vociferous. So much so that Natwest (the banking group to which Coutts belongs), clearly fearing an exodus of its 19 million customers, has been forced to apologise.
Nonetheless, the unreasonable restrictions placed on Farage have set wheels in motion. A Facebook group of those who have had their accounts closed by NatWest (10,000 members at the last count), are now instructing each other on how to demand a ‘subject access request’ into the rationale behind the bank’s choice of action. And the fact that Coutts is hypocritical as well as woke, is just a predictable bonus. Thanks to Andrew Neil, it can be revealed that Coutts allowed the Prince of Wales to deposit a million Euros in the form of a controversial Qatari suitcase – I wonder how that ‘aligns with the bank’s values’?
In a world where every private corporation and public body feels compelled to lecture the public on the opinions they are ‘allowed’ to hold, and de-platforms them at will, we ought perhaps to be grateful to Farage for daring to take a stand; and it’s a stand which usually wins. Whether its PayPal flexing its muscles, or Bud Light flexing its testicles – no company dares stand up to the silent majority when it decides to speak in unison; which, incidentally, means that their ‘values’ count for nothing.
As a thank you for taking a stand on the issues he believes in, Farage (and his family) have been the target of constant abuse. He admits he still receives death threats in the street, and having cheated death twice, probably doesn’t wish to push his luck any further.
With Farage unlikely to enter the political fray once more, the likelihood is that Keir Starmer will almost certainly win the next general election; and as a man who has never met a fence he wouldn’t sit on, that bodes ill for the restriction of entities like Coutts, which like throwing their weight around.
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I was having this exact conversation with a friend from Sweden yesterday, who was enthralled at Nigel when he watched him on GB News. Nigel is the best Prime Minister we never had nor never will have. He has been treated appallingly, yet never gives up. He is the Rottweiler guarding his flock of the millions of “silent majority”, patriotic, proud, people. He has charisma, guts, and actually listens to “the people”. He deserves to be knighted, as he has earned it 100% more than the actual grifters who call themselves Sir. Thank you Mr. Haviland for a brilliant blog today.
Most kind of you Lesley, thank you!
What Nigel has done is to reveal how thoroughly unpleasant some people are. If you heard the comments from people when asked what they thought about his bank account being closed, they could not separate their views of him from the rights he is entitled to. They want the freedom to say what they want but don’t respect his freedoms. That sums up the UK today.
Totally agree. If.nothing else, Farage is a man of huge resolve, determination and courage. Who else amongst the current crop of politicians who – at best – are feeble/highly malleable and -at worst- downright corrupt/in bed + a variety of vested interests would have the energy to initiate campaigns such as his. Given the calibre of many of those who are knighted ( and don’t start me on the ‘Dames’), he should take it as an honour that such has so far eluded him. He’s a disruptor par excellence and our country sure as heck needs some of those right now.
Hear hear!
Would add that so many politicians/commentators etc are so vitriolic about him precisely because they are deep down aware that they wouldn’t be remotely capable of launching a movement and fighting a cause such as he did. Shored up by conglomerates, quangos, supporters – and public money – they snipe from the sidelines but would turn and run if faced with a real battle.
MADELEINE, I think you’ll find he has been offered honours on a number of occasions, at least once in an attempt to buy him off, and refused them every time.
Once again the forces of the Establishment grossly underestimate Nigel Farage.
That Rose woman really messed up by picking on the man reckoned by many to be the most successful and influential European politician of the 21st century, who almost single-handedly took on and defeated the forces of the European Union on both sides of the Channel.
A huge can of worms has been opened and it will cost her and her odious organisation dearly.