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But he wasn't driving. And the driver did all the responsible things you'd expect.
But he wasn't driving. And the driver did all the responsible things you'd expect
And that story is over 6 years old. I'm sure Nige is a Reformed character these days....
But he wasn't driving. And the driver did all the responsible things you'd expect.
But that's not the point. It was Farage's Ranch Rover and Farage is still a ****. Banning him from his pub seems totally appropriate to me.
And look how Farage crashed a plane because a campaign banner it was towing became entangled in the tail fin. The geezer is a proper weapons grade ****.
Plus he looked totally pissed when he staggered out of that plane, have you seen the photos of his face after the crash? He looks completely out of it, either drugs or alcohol I reckon.
Again Farage didn't crash the plane the pilot did. And maybe you'd look a little out of it with according to the AI skim thing on my browser
fractured vertebrae, broken ribs, a fractured sternum, a punctured lung, and a chip to his spine.He was pulled from the wreckage upside down and unconscious, with blood on his face.The pilot, Justin Adams, also sustained significant injuries and was taken to a different hospital.
Come on Ernie, when I see you made the last post there's usually something interesting to read, don't let your standards slip.
The pilot, Justin Adams, also sustained significant injuries and was taken to a different hospital.
Fair point I had indeed forgotten about the pilot. So yeah, a very nasty accident, I'm glad the pilot survived, he could easily have been killed.
The photos of Farage after the crash sitting upside and then staggering around afterwards always make me chuckle no matter how many times I see them. It reminds of the clip of the far-right "protester" who got multiple bricks in the chest, back of the head, and bollocks, in quick succession, no matter how many times I watch it I still chuckle.
And just to prove how much of a **** Farage really is he lit a fag straight after the crash whilst he was surrounded by leaking aircraft fuel.
Plus the muppet didn't even win the parliamentary election that the publicity stunt was for. ****.
Come on Ernie, when I see you made the last post there's usually something interesting to read, don't let your standards slip.
Yeah, hating the guy is fine, but he's done enough awful stuff that we don't need to make more shit up
What shit is made up? He crashed the plane by getting it to tow a banner, are you going to suggest that he wasn't responsible because he wasn't the pilot? The investigation didn't find pilot error as far as I'm aware.
Are we going to say that Farage wasn't responsible for Brexit because he only had one vote?
The towing the banner was his ****up and he should own it.
He crashed the plane by getting it to tow a banner
The airplane belonged to a company called Sky Banners Ltd. Take a wild guess what they did for a living.
are you going to suggest that he wasn't responsible because he wasn't the pilot?
Of course he wasn't responsible for the crash. The banner got caught in the tail-plane, and the pilot tried to release it, when the controls snatched away from him. He regained some control - although not enough to prevent the plane from crashing. The firm was criticised for having incomplete safety procedures if the banner got tangled. I imagine Farage's input into the whole thing was probs a stream of Anglo-Saxon. You can blame Farage for many things, but not really for crashing a plane he'd hired to do the thing they advertised they could do, and wasn't in control of at the time.
Edit: it was a Polish made plane, at least karma had a laugh
The crash was deemed an accident. It's not as if towing banners is an unusual activity, several a day used to fly over me when I worked in Royan. It's a service provided by pilots to make money. However the pilot's (death) threats to the crash investigators and Farrage landed him in court and he was found guilty. He later committed suicide.
I have no love of or sympathy for Farrage but prefer to stick to the real damge he is responsible for rather than try to blame him for something investigators said he wasn't responsible for.
As a Brexit fan you should be grateful to Farrage for giving you what you wished for, Ernie. 😉 I'm against just about everything he stands for but still won't victim blame - Farrage paid a professional to do a job and ended up an accident victim.
The crash was deemed an accident
Well of course it was, no has suggested that it was deliberate! The reality however is that Nigel Farage would not have ended up upside down in a plane wreckage if he hadn't thought that the publicity stunt was a great idea for his failed election campaign.
Btw I'm lovin the long-winded responses because I point out that Farage is a **** and I revel at his misfortunes, and from dyed-in-the-wool remainers no less.
Farage might have been a bit shook up from his unfortunate experience he had but it caused him no lasting damage.
There are some on here who argue (unconvincingly imho) that Nigel Farage is the most influential UK politician of recent times and solely responsible for Brexit. If we take this to be true then it would be reasonable to assume had the consequences of the accident been more serious the UK would today be a fully integrated member of the EU.
So as someone who sees the EU as a racist and deeply anti-democratic project perhaps I should be very grateful that the accident wasn't more serious and I should thank that the man who opposes the EU for completely opposite reasons to me, ie it isn't racist and anti-democratic enough for him, managed to survive unscathed.
Although with the rise of the far-right throughout the EU, including in governments, poor 'ol Nigel is probably regretting that he can't be centre stage and planning EU strategy with other far-right politicians and governments when he becomes UK Prime Minister in less 4 years time. What a ****.
...poor 'ol Nigel is probably regretting
All that poor 'ol Nige ever regrets is how nasty journalists shine a light on his capacity to make money from politics as the active director of four companies:
REFORM UK PARTY LIMITED (16260766)
FARAGE MEDIA LIMITED (13066592)
REFORM 2025 LTD (11694875)
THORN IN THE SIDE LIMITED (07650770)
and has resigned as the director of four others, including UKIP Ltd. (all data from Companies House)
It’s been revealed that self-proclaimed man of the people, Nigel Farage, who is the UK’s highest-earning MP, now has nine jobs, meaning that he earns more than any other MP from outside earnings. https://leftfootforward.org/2025/01/a-full-list-of-nigel-farages-9-jobs-and-how-much-he-earns-from-each-one/
The Reform UK leader channels earnings from his prime-time TV show into his company, allowing him to pay only 25% corporation tax on profits, rather than the 40% income tax, and to offset certain expenses.
Farage claimed last year to have “bought a house” in his constituency, but the property is actually owned in the name of his partner, which legally allowed him to avoid higher-rate stamp duty on the purchase of an additional home, given that he already owns other properties.
https://pressway.org.uk/news/301375-farage_criticices_tax_cheats_as_his_company_pays_25_tax
I wonder how many people his companies employ?
If we take this to be true then it would be reasonable to assume had the consequences of the accident been more serious the UK would today be a fully integrated member of the EU.
Given the referendum vote fell just the wrong side of 50/50, I think that's not an unreasonable assumption.
Btw I'm lovin the long-winded responses because I point out that Farage is a ****
You were wrong, HTH.
THORN IN THE SIDE LIMITED has a single employee. Guess who that could be
Btw I'm lovin the long-winded responses because I point out that Farage is a *
You were wrong, HTH.
Well it doesn't really help, I am now trying to figure if you made a mistake and meant to quote something else?
Or do you really think I'm wrong to, quote, "point out that Farage is a *"?
So as someone who sees the EU as a racist and deeply anti-democratic project
This is one of the things you seem to have convinced yourself is true but doesn't stand up any better to fact checking than the anti-EU nonsense from your other fellow Brexiteer Boris Johnson.
On a personal level I've been able to vote in EU elections but was unable to vote in the Brexit referendum despite being British just because of where I lived. You're still elegible to vote in both French and European elections, Ernie, I hope you support the European democratic process by voting.
As for racist/xenophobic, the EU has a definition that covers just about every aspect imaginable, and requires criminalisation of racism in member states. Not entirely surprising the racists wanted Brexit so they were no longer constrained by EU anti-racist laws. Actually implementing those laws requires both a parliment vote (which there already has been against Hungary) then sanctions approved by the the council/commission. But don't hold your breath on that while there's a war going on.
This is one of the things you seem to have convinced yourself is true
Well it's not very hard when the clue is in the name even before you delve any further.
Have they not managed to find all these billions that were apparently being spent on diversity and inclusion and climate change programmes then?
Surely they're in the same place as the Brexit benefits?
Research by the 1928 Institute, a group of Oxford academics who analyse the British Indian community, shows backing for Reform has jumped in the past year from 4% to 13%.
Well that is going to complicate matters for people who take the simplistic view that growing support for Reform UK is all down to racism.
It's as if you think racism were an anglo-saxon monopoly, Ernie. In Leicester schools the friction I saw was mainly Hindu - Muslim with a bit of Afro-Carribean. Hindus supporting a racist anti-Muslin party makes a strange kind of sense. That Guardian article misses a factor that's clear in these:
If you look at the results of the poll it makes it clear that the huge surge in support for Reform in the last year is connected to disappointment with Labour in addressing the changed priorities of the UK Indian communities.
Disappointment with the current Labour government is what has driven voters into the arms of Reform in the last year, not racism, plus a complete lack of credibility in the Tory Party.
That Guardian article misses a factor that's clear in these
And you have missed the fact that Zia Yusuf, an observant Muslim only resigned from Reform for two days before Farage was successful in getting him to change his mind and gave him a leading role again.
Most people stating Reform as preference will never have heard of Yusuf. Also, just as Trump and the USA owners of Social Media are playing their part in bringing more of the wider UK population towards the far right, so Modi and alternative media sources have had an effect on some people who look towards India. I wouldn’t discount the importance of racism and othering when looking at these influences.
I couldn't possibly have missed Yusuf, Ernie, you have already lauded him so I Googled. having read a bit I decided he's the kind of person who puts personal gain and prestige over morality and integrity. I have no wish to meet him and certainly won't vote for him. He's another Mick Lynch type figure, toxic for the people he claims to represent.
Hess another Mick Lynch type figure, toxic for the people he claims to represent.
Wtf is that supposed to mean? Zia Yusuf is a deeply unpleasant person, far more unpleasant than even Nigel Farage imo. And yeah many people attracted to Reform will know who he is, only about a week ago he was on BBC QT spewing out his far-right nonsense
I don’t understand the Mick Lynch connection at all. Very odd.
Do you think that rail, maritime and transport workers have benefitted from Brexit, Kelvin? If you do I understand that you would find my comparison odd. However, if you think that Mick Lynch's (Ernie's idol) advice to his union members to vote Brexit was against their interests then you'll see that Muslims voting for Yusuf/Reform is comparable. They both put their personal agenda before the interests of people they preach to.
Mick Lynch's (Ernie's idol)
Well that's news to me!
Like a lot of punters on here I very much liked Mick Lynch's combative style when dealing with Tory politicians and the media. However I have always liked Eddie Dempsey, the man who has replaced Mick Lynch as general secretary of the RMT, even more. He is even more apt at hitting nails on the head and he speaks with seamless fluidity.
Dempsey is at least as opposed to the EU as Lynch was. I actually saw Dempsey speak at a packed meeting against the EU during the referendum campaign.
RMT members will have been fully aware of Bob Crow's, Mick Lynch's, and Eddie Dempsey's, views on the EU, and yet they have nevertheless had huge confidence in the abilities to represent them, even if you don't Ed
Is there another current here maybe?
Brexit has I think seen an explosion in legal migration from India, but the mood in the press is heading towards “Brexit was a disaster and it was all Nigel’s idea”. Even the Telegraph are starting to run that.
So perhaps and maybe, if you are Indian, then Reform is (de facto) a pro-Indian immigration party fighting against European free movement and the benefits to Indian immigration that brings. Maybe
It’s going to confuse things for some of the anti-immigrant white Anglo Saxon less enlightened types that’s for sure
Ahh, I see your point now Ed. Not sure they are at all comparable myself. I might be blinded by the wider politics of the two though.
Lynch was the name I'd associated with you (for obvious reasons) but now you mention Dempsey I recall you've been enthusiastic about Dempsey too.
Gong back to my labour economics option at uni one of the ways to erode union power in the work place was to put the union leaders on a pedestal. Things like a nice office, three figure salery, pit bull, exotic holidays and despite all that a council house. Make them feel superior to the rank and file and lose sight of what really matters to their members. Let them get distracted with their politics. Set them up to knock them down, exploit their notoriety in a negative way "the most hated man in Britian". Crow's fight was often right and just but I don't think his persona did unionisation any good and more to the point didn't do his members much good. It strikes me that German union leaders nobody knows the name of do a better job for their members.
Take truck drivers, a chronic shortage, Brexit, Covid... and the unions have failed to capitalise on a highly favourable supply and demand situation, their wages are down in real terms over the last decade and as for their conditions... . If ever there was a time for a union to improve its workers' pay and conditions it's right now. So why aren't I reading about them?
Anyhow compare a debating style of any of the above with say Marylise Léon. I know who is more likely to influence my voting choices, a voice of reason rather than a pit bull. 🙂
Edit: makes sense, igm. I'll add that to the anti-muslim factor.
Crow's fight was often right and just but I don't think his persona did unionisation any good and more to the point didn't do his members much good.
When Bob Crow became RMT leader in 2002 membership was at 57k, by the time of his untimely death in 2014 it was 80k, and this was a period of overall decline for trade union membership.
There is obviously a reason why Bob Crow bucked the trend. I think many rail, maritime, and transport workers might not agree with you.
Anyway this Nigel Farage geezer....... what a ****, eh?
Anyway this Nigel Farage geezer....... what a ****, eh?
Yup.
I don't regard the level of union membership as an accurate guide to the success of the leadership. The closed shop period had some lousy leaders who only succeeded in permanently losing their members their jobs. On the other hand I've worked in places in France with low union membership (around 20%) where the unions have negotiated very well for not only their members but the whole workforce - because the majority of workforce was prepared to support a union call to action and the employers knew it.
Rather predictably Reform led Kent Country Council continues to tear itself apart.
The video is online but a bit sweary so I won't post a link. Easy to find though.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cn0gxn496zyo
☝️Her dad was an immigrant from Trinidad, just saying like.
The closed shop period had some lousy leaders who only succeeded in permanently losing their members their jobs.
I was a victim of this, I was forced to join the NGA (National Graphical Association), which had the highest subs of any Union in the country, but when I was threatened with losing my job, the amount of help I was offered came to the sum total of bugger-all. It’s little wonder I then developed a very jaundiced view of the Union system. 🤬
They never got you a wage rise? It's hard to believe that they were strong enough to negotiate a closed shop but not higher wages.
Just tripped over this...
It’s behind a paywall but but may end up interesting or being nothing.
But that Clacton house saga may run on a bit more.
Since the majority of now Reform "supporters" were not voting Reform 15 months ago I think it is difficult to gauge the effect any negative publicity might have.
Although an investigation into the affairs of the partner of a politician several years ago isn't likely to have a huge effect I would have thought.
The fraud investigation into Morgan McSweeney, Starmer's right-hand man, doesn't seem to have damaged Labour much. Although in fairness with the latest opinion poll putting them on level pegging with the Greens I guess Labour's support base couldn't really collapse much more.
Unless dodgy stuff concerning Labour is part of the reason for their historically low level of support now? The freebies scandal involving Starmer couldn't have helped them.
Well all this was so predictable. The quotes below were posted at the time that the local election results were coming through, in the end I think Reform won control of 10 councild.
Here’s hoping that now they’re responsible for actually making some decisions that actually effect peoples lives, that they’ll now be held up to the same scrutiny as the other political parties.
Very likely I would have thought, with responsibility comes accountability, something which Farage uniquely among party leaders has up until now been spared.
I believe that as a baggage-free party leader, combined with an electorate desperate for something fresh and new, that Farage was in a strong position to become UK prime minister in 2029.
Farage might yet rue the day that Reform won control of six councils and scuppered his long-term political ambitions.
How does an organisation like Reform reckon that they have a reputation to besmirch?
Well here in Wales there is alternative alternative, and the good folk of Caerphilly voted for it:
BBC News - Chris Mason: Extraordinary Caerphilly by-election humbles Westminster's big beasts
https://www.bbc.com/news/articles/c4gj48q4x39o
Go Plaid!
I remember Leanne Wood leader of PC at the time publicly humiliating Nigel Farage on national television
Wood was an impressive operator.
A good result indeed. Mrs g is involved in the party in our constituency, which neighbours Caerphilly, and has spent a lot of time leafletting and canvassing recently (I helped with leafletting once). She is a happy bunny this morning!
This was fptp because the seat being filled was the fptp seat not one of the "list" seats under the old fptp/ open list system. The Senedd elections next year will be under the new closed list system, so not much opportunity for tactical voting. Looks like Reform will get a bunch of seats, could be an interesting battle to be the largest party. Could be Reform most seats but a Labour/ Plaid coalition gets to form a government. Interesting times, as they say.
The moment you realise Nigel is a liar. 
What have Caerphilly and Clacton got in common?
I thought we'd passed peak flag shagging season as they've disappeared from a few local hotspots, but Notts Council have just raised the bar (or is it lowered?). At least these ones should be the right way up.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/czdr3npe33do
A good result indeed. Mrs g is involved in the party in our constituency, which neighbours Caerphilly, and has spent a lot of time leafletting and canvassing recently (I helped with leafletting once). She is a happy bunny this morning!
From what I have read it had been heavily sold as a two horse race between Reform and Plaid.
Plaid benefited hugely from tactical voting from those concerned about Reform getting in. Plaid had a local guy who`d been a Caerphilly councillor over 50 years, and Reform had a guy who worked for Nathan Gill whilst he took bribes from Russia, and stood as a Conservative candidate for Cardiff in 2022 ... I`m surprised Reform got any votes in a South Wales valleys town with credentials like that.
I`m surprised Reform got any votes in a South Wales valleys town with credentials like that.
They have excellent PR, are constantly in the news and stupid, poorly educated and/or wilfully ignorant people are everywhere.
From what I have read it had been heavily sold as a two horse race between Reform and Plaid.
Labour were saying the same mutatis mutandis, it was the publication last week of a credible poll showing Labour a distant third that probably helped clarify the issue for tactical voters.
As with Brexit, Farage has very successfully sold Reform as the “**** you!” vote to ‘the establishment’
Not bad going for a bloke who is the living embodiment of ‘the establishment’.
On Five Live earlier one of the reporters was outside a polling station asking people who had just voted for Reform what particular policy or policies it was of there’s that they particularly supported. Cue lots of people going “erm….. errrrrrrr…..”.
None of them could name a single policy other than some vague bollocks about stopping the boats, without any detail about how they were actually going to do that
https://twitter.com/GoodwinMJ/status/1982935701848240210?t=DbScCoDxMpDnaRgmOZH1uQ&s=19
Someone tell him the annual budget is 1.3 trillion.
0.00769%
🤣
so how does bringing outsiders in and privatising things save money, do they do it for nothing?
idiots, they annoy me
A Reform government would save £100m a year by
Yeah it's just weird how trumpeting the claim that Reform will "save" £100M Matt Goodwin appears to have no understanding of what that represents in relation to government spending in the world's sixth largest economy.
Who the **** is Matt Goodwin anyway? He reminds me Dougal
Farage will be the next PM not because of his policies, "ideology" or promises etc. He will be handed the role of PM because of the sign of time due to the incompetent (well, he will do the "MAGA" as his pal) of current or previous govt to manage the economy. People are increasing feeling the pinch due to the soaring price, inflation, less value for money etc.
It's a great con, you have to hand him that. Spike the UK economy and then ride into power based on that handicap hitting the voters.
There was a voxpop on earlier from Buxton. Now, not a single migrant is being housed in little old Buxton. But it was still the single most brought up issue. Not the housing of migrants, merely the possibility of housing migrants. Any mention of the empty Derby Uni halls in the town was instantly reacted to by a fear that they might be used to house migrants.
Farage will become prime minister because of petty insularity, xenophobia and prejudice. And whilst he is doing his performative nastiness above the table, he'll be robbing people blind under it.
Farage will become prime minister because of petty insularity, xenophobia and prejudice. And whilst he is doing his performative nastiness above the table, he'll be robbing people blind under it.
He will not be a PM relying on those few votes only, impossible.
But he will be a PM because people not previously affected much (or still able to tolerate soaring price etc) are now also feeling the pinch. These are the people sitting on the borderline of affordability or hungry or unaffordable, and they will take their chances with a new PM or party no matter who the person can be. Then we shall see a period of major changes like MAGA now.
Farage will become prime minister because of petty insularity, xenophobia and prejudice
No Danny, you always trot out that line but if there is petty insularity, xenophobia and prejudice, during the 2029 general election then there will have been petty insularity, xenophobia and prejudice, during the 2024 general election when Labour won a landslide victory.
If Nigel Farage becomes UK Prime Minister, which looks increasingly likely, then it will be because of firstly the failure of 5 years of Tory-LibDem government, followed by the failure of 9 years of Tory government, and finally the failure of 5 years of Labour government.
Voters today (living under a huge Labour majority government) have basically the same moral compass as they will have in 4 years time.
There was a voxpop on earlier from Buxton.
Good article on the Beeb about Buxton, probably related to the voxpop you saw.
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cvgkpjdzv74o
In summary, healthcare in the area is far less dependant upon overseas workers (so they have no idea of the need for and benefits of immigration for much of the country) and a shrinking small amount of immigrants, most from Ukraine fleeing the war (so also don't see any potential negatives of immigration, real or imagined)...
So for all intents and purposes immigration should be a total non issue in the area. Yet they vote in a Reform council. 😁
Hardly surprising. Nearly all domestic news on all channels seems to be about asylum seekers (and wholly negative). Even C4/ITN news now. You'd think nothing else ever happened on "these shores" other than the occasional small boat making it here. Totally blown out of proportion in the minds of so many, by the constant drip of "this is all so important some how" from all the media.
So for all intents and purposes immigration should be a total non issue in the area. Yet they vote in a Reform council. 😁
Support for Reform among British Indians has more than trebled in the last year, assuming that concerns over immigration and a rejection of multiculturalism doesn't lie at the heart of this sudden surge of support for Reform among British Indians perhaps those who Reform have been attracting in the last year are motivated by different concerns?
Just seen another headline about how far ahead Reform are currently in the poles. I can't get my head around their popularity after seeing what recently happened in Kent, Pochin's comments and Farage's non response.
Also saw this recently, which I found interesting, but is it just preaching to the uncoverted?
Support for Reform among British Indians has more than trebled in the last year, assuming that concerns over immigration and a rejection of multiculturalism doesn't lie at the heart of this sudden surge of support for Reform among British Indians perhaps those who Reform have been attracting in the last year are motivated by different concerns?
Other nationalities can be rascist pricks too, who would have thunk it? 😉
Racism: it's not just for whites, anyone can be one! 🤣
Other nationalities can be rascist pricks too, who would have thunk it?
What "other nationalities" are you talking about? You have to be British to vote in UK general elections and the poll findings are with regards to the voting intentions of British Indian voters.
Do you not accept that British Indians are actually British? I think that we might have a new Reform voter in the making!
Thats not a surprise given the Hindu vs Muslim hatred
So how come support for Reform among British Indians at the last general election was only 4% and now a year later it is 13%...... the Hindu Vs Muslim hatred wasn't as great last year as it is this year?
And you wait until they find out that Nigel Farage's right-hand man, Zia Yusuf, the geezer who Farage wants to be his Elon Musk, is a practicing Muslim.
I am impressed with how some people are determined to stick to the old, simple, easy-to-understand explanations, for the sudden massive rise in support for Reform in the last year, even when reality checks suggest something a tad more complex.
I'm impressed that you are so blind, that's some serious mental gymnastics!
EDIT; in fact, being a racisct scum bag, is ironically the one thing almost all humans have in common....
Does that make you feel better?
I'm impressed that you are so blind, that's some serious mental gymnastics!
Unlike you who can see that British Indians are another nationality?
Or do you mean that the growing support for Reform among British Indians in the last year proves that they are worried about immigration and multiculturalism ?
EDIT; in fact, being a racisct scum bag, is ironically the one thing almost all humans have in common....
Well that's quite a leap...... from "all Reform voters are racist scum" to "almost all human beings are racist scum"
I get openly accused of having sex with animals any time I mention I'm Welsh.
What's your point?
Is it 'just fun' in my case, and I should just 'suck it up'?
Some kinds of racism are more important that other kinds, it seems.
If I were to knock someones teeth out, for being openly racist towards me, I would be the one who would get arrested.
And belive me, it's very tempting, sometimes.
I like to think i'm 'better than that' though so i'm just expected to deal with it.
They never got you a wage rise? It's hard to believe that they were strong enough to negotiate a closed shop but not higher wages.
Was that referring to my post above? If so, then no. I was on around £12/week and my subs were £1.50. (They weren’t interested in getting me more money, they needed someone else in the studio to balance the existing number of SLADE members, and I was the only available person to make up the three needed. It was political, nothing to do with benefiting the members.)
Not a lot, but a large percentage of sod-all. This was back in the 70’s, things did improve later, I was with the company for 18 years.