It is touch and go whether Nigel Farage can survive as Ukip leader. With key figures such as former leader Roger Knapman, donor Stuart Wheeler and treasurer Hugh Williams saying it’s time for a change, the operation to ‘save’ Farage has begun in haste. Ukip’s deputy leader Paul Nuttall, who is seen as Farage’s anointed successor, has released an ambiguous statement of support, which doesn’t mention Farage by name, nor explicitly endorse him as leader:
Ukip’s only MEP north of the border David Coburn has offered warmer support for Farage, describing him as ‘the greatest man this country has produced since Churchill’:‘The general election was a great success delivering 4 millions votes in the bag. The 2020 vision is on course. UKIP have the best communicator in British politics leading this party and who will play a vital role during the referendum campaign.’
Nigel Farage is the greatest man this country has produced since Churchill Enough said UKIP
— David Coburn MEP (@DavidCoburnUKip) May 14, 2015
As has Roger Helmer MEP, the party’s environment spokesman:‘Nigel fought a brilliant election campaign and what an achievement it was to get nearly 4 million votes. Nigel has my full support as leader’
Richard Desmond, a Ukip donor and proprietor of Express Newspapers, says ‘Nigel has my support 101%’, similarly to Alan Bown, another major donor:‘Of course Nigel shouldn’t go. He’s the most substantial and respected figure in the party and he is absolutely the right person to fight the referendum campaign. He is the dominant person in the party and huge numbers of party members and activists contacted the NEC to call for him to stay.
The man himself has surfaced briefly this afternoon. After lunch at The Ivy in Covent Garden, Farage was asked by the media pack if he thinks Ukip is in turmoil. ‘No I don’t think so, ‘ he tersely responded. When asked if his re-emergence as leader was a stitch up, Farage said ‘if the NEC unanimously back me, then it’s not my fault is it’. On Patrick O’Flynn’s comments, he said ‘I don’t feel terribly impressed I have to say’ before hopping in his car. The key donor to watch for is Arron Banks, who gave the party £1 million last year. He has so far dismissed all notions of Farage quitting, even going as far to call for a ‘little clique’ of senior figures to resign — and labeled Douglas Carswell as ‘duplicitous’. If his support for Farage weakens, he may well be in big trouble. But for now, Team O’Flynn can claim a comfortable victory as both of Farage’s aides have gone. UPDATE: The fightback from Team Farage continues. His outgoing chief of staff Raheem Kassam, has spoken to Sky News about the briefing war. He described O’Flynn’s comments as ‘wholly unprofessional’ and said ‘Patrick should absolutely consider his position’.‘I have given nearly £2 million to UKIP and first got involved because of Nigel. Nigel speaks for ordinary people which is why 4 million people voted for us last week. He has had the guts to talk openly about immigration and it’s only because of Nigel that now everyone is talking about this subject…he has my full support.’
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