Nigel Farage may be hoping to take more than the I’m A Celebrity crown following his time in the jungle.
The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader has certainly been getting his fair share of air-time.
On Wednesday, he got embroiled in a heated row with fellow campmate Nella Rose, who accused him of wanting people like her “gone” from the UK as they clashed about remarks he has made about reducing immigration numbers.
The episode was also notable for Farage not wasting the opportunity to seemingly apply for a major political job while appearing in millions of homes every night on the hit ITV show.
Speaking to his campmates, Farage said there had been “a lot of chatter” that he might lead the Tories if, as the polls currently suggest, they lose the next general election.
If that happens, and Rishi Sunak were to resign, Farage appeared to be bolstering his credentials as joing the Tory party, standing to be an MP, winning the seat, getting enough MPs to nominate him and winning the membership vote to become their leader.
Asked if he would ever run, Farage told his fellow campmates: “I don’t know. We’ll see. Depends how much of a mess the country gets in.
“I honestly don’t know. I mean it’s not an easy job.”
Farage later told the Bush telegraph: “As for little me, there is a lot of speculation after they lose the next election, maybe Nigel becomes leader of the Tory party one day so there’s a lot of chatter about whether it is going to happen, I have no idea.
“The important thing is to say this, never say never.”
It’s not the first time Farage has raised the prospect of leading the party he left in disgust over their stance on the EU.
Speaking to the PoliticsHome website following a star turn at the Tory party conference, he said: “I’d be very surprised if I were not Conservative leader by 2026. Very surprised.
Referring to others present, he added: “They think I’m joking. I’m serious.” Farage later said his comments were meant “in jest”.
Farage may be hopeful but recent YouGov polling shows the public think very differently – with nearly half (45%) believing he would be a ‘very bad leader’, compared to 8% who think he would ‘very good’.
What do you think? Have your say in our poll below…
Christine Lake is a sports fanatic who lives and breathes athletics. With an extensive background in sports journalism, he covers everything from major league championships to grassroots sports events. When she’s not on the field or at the stadium, you’ll find Christine coaching youth sports teams.
