View source for Biography:Nigel Farage

{{pp-semi|small=yes}}
{{short description|Leader of the Brexit Party}}
{{Infobox officeholder
|name             = Nigel Farage
|honorific-suffix = {{Post-nominals|country=GBR|size=100%|MEP}}
|image            = Nigel Farage (45718080574) (cropped).jpg
|caption          = Farage in December 2018
|party            = Brexit (2019–present)
|otherparty       = {{plainlist|
* [[Social:Independent politician|Independent]] (2018–2019)<ref name="quits">{{cite news |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=4 December 2018 |title=With a heavy heart, I am leaving Ukip. It is not the Brexit party our nation so badly needs |first=Nigel |last=Farage |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/12/04/heavy-heart-leaving-ukip-not-brexit-party-nation-badly-needs/}}</ref>
*UKIP (1993–2018)
*[[Finance:Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative]] (1978–1993){{citation needed|date=October 2019}}}}
|birth_name       = Nigel Paul Farage
|birth_date       = {{Birth date and age|1964|4|3|df=y}}
|birth_place      = {{nowrap|Farnborough, Kent, England, UK}}<ref name="Nigel FarageBio"/>
|death_date       = 
|death_place      = 
|spouse           = {{unbulleted list|{{marriage|Gráinne Hayes<br />|1988|1997|end=div}}|{{marriage|Kirsten Mehr<br />|1999}}}}
|children         = 4
|education        = Dulwich College
|residence        = {{nowrap|Chelsea, [[Place:London|London]], England, UK}}<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-laure-ferrari-ukip-sahring-secret-house-french-politician-a7563426.html |title=Nigel Farage is sharing secret 'bachelor pad' with a politician |date=5 February 2017 |website=The Independent}}</ref>
|website          = {{url|http://www.nfarage.com/|Official website}}<br />{{url|http://www.nigelfaragemep.co.uk/|Constituency website}}<br />{{url|europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/4525/NIGEL_FARAGE_home.html|Parliament website}}
|office          = Leader of the Brexit Party
|1blankname      = Chairman
|1namedata       = Richard Tice
|term_start      = 22 March 2019
|term_end        = 
|predecessor     = Catherine Blaiklock
|office1          = Leader of the UK Independence Party
|1blankname1      = Chairman
|1namedata1       = Paul Oakden
|predecessor1     = Diane James
|successor1       = Paul Nuttall
|successor2       = Diane James
|term_start1      = 5 October 2016
|term_end1        = 28 November 2016<br />Acting
|term_start2      = 5 November 2010
|term_end2        = 16 September 2016
|deputy2          = Paul Nuttall
|1blankname2      = Chairman
|1namedata2       = Steve Crowther
|predecessor2     = Jeffrey Titford (Acting)
|deputy3          = David Campbell Bannerman<br />[[Biography:Christopher Monckton, 3rd Viscount Monckton of Brenchley|Christopher Monckton]]
|1blankname3      = Chairman
|1namedata3       = John Whittaker<br/>Paul Nuttall
|term_start3      = 12 September 2006
|term_end3        = 27 November 2009
|predecessor3     = Roger Knapman
|successor3       = The Lord Pearson of Rannoch
|office4          = President of Europe of Freedom <br/> and Direct Democracy<ref>Served as Chairman of Independence/Democracy (2004–2009) and Europe of Freedom and Democracy (2009–2014)</ref>
|1blankname4      = Served with
|1namedata4       = Hanne Dahl<br />Francesco Speroni<br />David Borrelli
|term_start4      = 20 July 2004
|term_end4        = 1 July 2019
|predecessor4     = Jens-Peter Bonde
|successor4       = 
|office5          = Chairman of the UK Independence Party
|leader5          = Michael Holmes
|term_start5      = 1998
|term_end5        = 22 January 2000
|predecessor5     = Alan Sked
|successor5       = Mike Nattrass
|office6          = Member of the European Parliament<br />for South East England
|term_start6      = 10 June 1999
|term_end6        = <!-- 31 January 2020 -->
|predecessor6 = ''Constituency established''
|successor6      = <!--''Constituency abolished'' -->
}}
'''Nigel Paul Farage''' ({{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|ær|ɑː|ʒ}};<ref name=":0">While Farage himself pronounces it thus, he has stated that he does not mind if the alternative pronunciation of {{IPAc-en|ˈ|f|ær|ɪ|dʒ}} is used by others – [//www.youtube.com/watch?v=K27fm4lyWm0 Farage vs Paxman],{{dead link|date=January 2019}} ''Newsnight (YouTube – UKIP webmaster's channel)'', 18 April 2010. Retrieved 13 May 2013.</ref> born 3 April 1964)<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36701855 |title= The Nigel Farage story|work=BBC News |date= 4 July 2016 |accessdate= 17 November 2019}}</ref> is a British politician. He has been leader of the Brexit Party since 2019, and has served as Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England since 1999. Outside his Brexit Party and MEP activities, he is a vice-chairman of the pro-Brexit organisation Leave Means Leave, and is the host of a [[Social:Radio|radio]] phone-in on the Global-owned talk radio station LBC.

He was leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from 2006 to 2009 and again from 2010 to 2016.<ref name="backin">{{cite news |last1=Smith |first1=Norman |title=Nigel Farage steps back in at UKIP as Diane James quits |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37561065 |accessdate=5 October 2016 |work=BBC News |date=5 October 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201165038/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37561065|archivedate=1 February 2017}}</ref> He co-chairs the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (formerly "Europe of Freedom and Democracy") group.<ref>{{cite news |url= https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29692378 |title=UKIP's alliance in Europe rescued by Polish MEP |work=BBC News |date=20 October 2014 |accessdate=6 March 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150614060034/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-29692378 |archivedate=14 June 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Known as a prominent Eurosceptic in the UK since the early 1990s, he has been noted for his European Parliament speeches,<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/7315555/Ukips-Nigel-Farage-faces-reprimand-after-calling-Herman-Van-Rompuy-wet-rag.html |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=25 February 2010 |location=London |first=Bruno |last=Waterfield |title=Ukip's Nigel Farage faces reprimand after calling Herman Van Rompuy 'wet rag' |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106101655/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/europe/belgium/7315555/Ukips-Nigel-Farage-faces-reprimand-after-calling-Herman-Van-Rompuy-wet-rag.html |archivedate=6 January 2016}}</ref><ref name=limb>{{cite news |first=Tim |last=Adams |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2012/jul/20/nigel-farage-ukip-leader-interview |work={{wipe|The Guardian}} |location=London |title=Nigel Farage: I was never scared of being out on a limb |date=21 July 2012 |archivedate=14 October 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121014080321/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/jul/20/nigel-farage-ukip-leader-interview |url-status=live}}</ref> and as a vocal critic of the [[Finance:Euro|euro]] currency.

Farage was a founder member of UKIP, having left the [[Finance:Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] in 1992 after the signing of the [[Finance:Maastricht Treaty|Maastricht Treaty]],<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20543513 |publisher=BBC News |title=Profile: Nigel Farage, UKIP leader |last=Goldsmith |first=Rosie |date=4 December 2012 |archivedate=21 September 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130921101843/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20543513 |url-status=live}}</ref> which furthered European integration and founded the [[Social:European Union|European Union]]. After campaigning unsuccessfully in European and Westminster parliamentary elections for UKIP since 1994, he was elected MEP for South East England in the 1999 European Parliament election. He was re-elected in the 2004, 2009, 2014 and 2019 European Parliament elections.

He first became the leader of UKIP in September 2006, and led the party through the 2009 European Parliament election, when it won the second-highest share of the UK popular vote, defeating Labour and the Liberal Democrats with over two million votes. He stepped down in November 2009 to concentrate on contesting Buckingham, the constituency of the Speaker, [[Biography:John Bercow|John Bercow]], at the 2010 general election, and came third. In November 2010 Farage successfully stood in the 2010 UKIP leadership contest,<ref name="Sparrow">{{cite news|last=Sparrow |first=Andrew |date=3 September 2010 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/sep/03/nigel-farage-stand-ukip-leadership |title=Nigel Farage to stand for Ukip leadership again |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |archivedate=27 September 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130927215740/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/sep/03/nigel-farage-stand-ukip-leadership |url-status=live}}</ref> becoming leader of the party once again after the resignation of Lord Pearson of Rannoch, who voluntarily stepped down as leader in August that year.

Farage announced his resignation as leader when he did not win the South Thanet seat in Kent at the 2015 general election, but his resignation was rejected and he remained in his post. In June 2016 he was a prominent supporter of the successful campaign for a vote in favour of leaving the EU in the UK EU membership referendum.<ref name=history>{{cite news |last1=Bennett |first1=Asa |title=Nigel Farage has earned his place in history as the man who led Britain out of the EU |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/24/nigel-farage-has-earned-his-place-in-history-as-the-man-who-led/|accessdate=24 June 2016 |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=24 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160627065428/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/24/nigel-farage-has-earned-his-place-in-history-as-the-man-who-led/ |archivedate=27 June 2016}}</ref> On 4 July 2016, he again announced his resignation as leader of UKIP, triggering a leadership election.<ref name="resignation 2016">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36702468 |title=UKIP leader Nigel Farage stands down|publisher=BBC News|date=4 July 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704092043/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-36702468|archivedate=4 July 2016}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37561065 |title=Nigel Farage steps back in at UKIP as Diane James quits |work=BBC News |date=5 October 2016 |accessdate=18 October 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170201165038/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37561065 |archivedate=1 February 2017}}</ref> He was ranked second in ''The Daily Telegraph''{{'s}} Top 100 most influential right-wingers poll in October 2013, behind Prime Minister David Cameron.<ref name="telegraph">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10350283/Top-100-most-influential-Right-wingers-50-1.html |title=Top 100 most influential Right-wingers |date=2 October 2013 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |last1=Dale |first1=Iain |accessdate=4 May 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160418112519/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/conservative/10350283/Top-100-most-influential-Right-wingers-50-1.html |archivedate=18 April 2016}}</ref> Farage was named "Briton of the Year" by ''The Times'' in 2014.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/leaders/article4307559.ece |title=Man of the Moment |date=30 December 2014 |work=The Times |location=London |accessdate=30 December 2014}}{{subscription required}}</ref> In 2017, he began contributing to the American television network Fox News.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://thehill.com/homenews/media/315273-fox-news-signs-nigel-farage-backer-of-trump-and-brexit |title=Fox News signs Nigel Farage, backer of Trump and Brexit |last=Lejeune |first=Tristan |date=20 January 2017 |work=TheHill |access-date=21 June 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170519083604/http://thehill.com/homenews/media/315273-fox-news-signs-nigel-farage-backer-of-trump-and-brexit |archivedate=19 May 2017}}</ref> In 2018 he joined Leave Means Leave.<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2018/08/17/time-has-come-teach-political-class-lessonim-back-fighting-real/ |website=The Telegraph |title=The time has come to teach the political class a lesson: I'm back fighting for a real Brexit|date=17 August 2018|last=Farage|first=Nigel}}</ref> On 4 December 2018, Farage announced his resignation from UKIP over the appointment of Tommy Robinson as an adviser to the UKIP leader Gerard Batten and the decision of the National Executive of UKIP to keep Batten as leader of the party.<ref name="quits"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Former leader Nigel Farage quits UKIP |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46448299 |work=BBC News |date=4 December 2018 |accessdate=4 December 2018}}</ref>

On 13 February 2019 Farage confirmed that he would sit as a member of the Brexit Party in the European Parliament.<ref name="Nigel Farage">{{cite news |title=I am now sitting as an MEP for The Brexit Party in the European Parliament|url=https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/1095667469757435905 |work=Nigel Farage |date=13 February 2019 |accessdate=13 February 2019}}</ref> On 22 March 2019, Farage was officially announced as the new Leader of the Brexit Party after Catherine Blaiklock's resignation.<ref name="bbc_47668067">{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage back in frontline politics as Brexit Party leader|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-47668067 |work=BBC News |date=22 March 2019 |accessdate=24 March 2019}}</ref>

==Early life==
===Ancestry and childhood===
Farage was born in Farnborough, Kent, England,<ref name="Nigel FarageBio">{{cite news |title=Biography of Nigel Farage at the European Parliament|url=https://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/4525/NIGEL_FARAGE/home|work=European Parliament |accessdate=12 July 2019}}</ref> the son of Barbara (''née'' Stevens) and Guy Justus Oscar Farage.<ref name=goldsmith>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20543513 |last=Goldsmith |first=Rosie |title=Profile: Nigel Farage, UKIP leader |work=BBC News |date=4 December 2012 |accessdate=1 March 2013 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130419181336/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-20543513 |archivedate=19 April 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name=Durkin20140330>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10731266/My-six-months-with-normal-Nigel-Farage.html |title=My six months with normal Nigel Farage |first=Martin |last=Durkin |date=30 March 2014 |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20140331165432/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10731266/My-six-months-with-normal-Nigel-Farage.html |archivedate=31 March 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref><ref name="ukwhoswho.com">[http://www.ukwhoswho.com/view/article/oupww/whoswho/U15437 'FARAGE, Nigel Paul', ''Who's Who 2012'', A & C Black, 2012; online edn, Oxford University Press, Dec 2011;] online edn, November 2011. Retrieved 22 July 2012.</ref> His father was a stockbroker who worked in the [[Finance:City of London|City of London]]. A 2012 BBC Radio 4 profile described Guy Farage as an alcoholic<ref name=goldsmith/> who left the family home when Nigel was five years old.<ref name=limb/> His father gave up alcohol two years later, in 1971, and entered the antiques trade, having lost his Stock Exchange position; the next year, endorsed by friends, he returned to the trading floor at the new [[Finance:Stock Exchange Tower|Stock Exchange Tower]] on Threadneedle Street.<ref>{{cite book |title=Flying Free |first=Nigel |last=Farage |publisher=Biteback Publishing |year=2011 |page= |isbn=9781849540940}}</ref> Farage's grandfather, Harry Farage, was a private who fought and was wounded in the First World War.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31771963 |title=Leader profile: 24 hours with Nigel Farage |work=BBC News |date=4 December 2012 |accessdate=6 March 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306170514/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31771963 |archivedate=6 March 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> It has been suggested that the Farage name comes from a distant Huguenot ancestor.<ref>{{cite news |last=Meltzer |first=Tom |location=London |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2013/may/10/is-nigel-farage-racist |title=Is Nigel Farage a racist? |work=The Guardian |date=10 May 2013 |accessdate=28 April 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130730113659/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/shortcuts/2013/may/10/is-nigel-farage-racist |archivedate=30 July 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref> Both parents of one of Farage's great-grandfathers were German, migrating to London from the Frankfurt area shortly after 1861.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11447132/Nigel-Farage-Ukips-immigration-policy-is-built-on-fairness.html|title=Nigel Farage: Ukip's immigration policy is built on fairness|first=Nigel|last=Farage|date=3 March 2015|via=www.telegraph.co.uk}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/396897/Great-grandfather-of-Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-was-born-to-German-immigrants |title=Great-grandfather of Ukip leader Nigel Farage 'was born to German immigrants' |first=Dion |last=Dassanayake |date=3 May 2013 |newspaper=Daily Express |location=London |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20131031221958/http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/396897/Great-grandfather-of-Ukip-leader-Nigel-Farage-was-born-to-German-immigrants |archivedate=31 October 2013 |url-status=live}}</ref>

===Dulwich College===
[[File:Dulwich College, College Road, Dulwich. - geograph.org.uk - 58443.jpg|thumb|right|Dulwich College]]
From 1975 to 1982 Farage was educated at Dulwich College, a fee-paying independent school in south London. In his autobiography he pays tribute to the careers advice he received there from England Test cricketer John Dewes, "who must have spotted that I was quite ballsy, probably good on a platform, unafraid of the limelight, a bit noisy and good at selling things".<ref>{{cite news |title=John Dewes obituary |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/opinion/obituaries/article4439440.ece |accessdate=15 May 2015 |work=The Times |location=London |date=14 May 2015}}{{subscription required}}</ref> Farage was active in the [[Finance:Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] from his school days, having seen a visit to his school by Enoch Powell and Keith Joseph.<ref name=":1">{{cite web |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcmIHT6J0wc |title=Nigel Farage on Absolute Radio: Full Interview |date=17 April 2015 |accessdate=28 April 2015 |website=YouTube |last=Absolute Radio |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151019005421/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZcmIHT6J0wc |archivedate=19 October 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> In 1981, an English teacher who had not met the 17 year-old Farage, Chloe Deakin, wrote to the headmaster of Dulwich College, David Emms, asking him to reconsider his decision to appoint Farage as a prefect, citing concerns expressed by others over Farage's alleged 'fascist' views. Emms rejected those concerns, as did the College's deputy headmaster, Terry Walsh, who said later that Farage "was well-known for provoking people, especially left-wing English teachers who had no sense of humour." Farage later stated that some teachers were hostile to him because he was an admirer of Enoch Powell, and said: "Any accusation I was ever involved in far right politics is utterly untrue."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.channel4.com/news/nigel-farage-ukip-letter-school-concerns-racism-fascism |title=Nigel Farage schooldays letter reveals concerns over fascism |date=19 September 2013 |website=Channel 4 |publisher=Chennel 4 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170802201628/https://www.channel4.com/news/nigel-farage-ukip-letter-school-concerns-racism-fascism |archivedate=2 August 2017 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

==Early career==
After leaving school in 1982, Farage decided to seek employment in the City of London, trading commodities at the [[Organization:London Metal Exchange|London Metal Exchange]].<ref name=goldsmith/> Initially, he joined the American commodity operation of [[Finance:Broker|broker]]age firm [[Company:Drexel Burnham Lambert|Drexel Burnham Lambert]],<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/> transferring to Crédit Lyonnais Rouse in 1986.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/> He joined Refco in 1994, and Natixis Metals in 2003.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/>

Farage joined the Conservative Party in 1978, but voted for the Green Party in 1989 because of what he saw as their then "sensible" and [[Social:Euroscepticism|Eurosceptic]] policies.<ref name=":1" /> He left the Conservatives in 1992 in protest at Prime Minister John Major's government's signing of the Treaty on European Union at Maastricht.<ref>{{cite news |title=Profile: Nigel Farage |date=12 September 2006 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/5338364.stm |work=BBC News |accessdate=24 February 2013 |archivedate=19 April 2013 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20130419151041/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5338364.stm |url-status=live}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Question Time: This week's panel |date=28 March 2007 |accessdate=24 February 2013 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/6499699.stm |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070831205129/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/programmes/question_time/6499699.stm |archivedate=31 August 2007 |url-status=live}}</ref>

==Political career up to 2016==

===European Parliament===
Farage was elected to the European Parliament in 1999 and re-elected in 2004, 2009 and 2014. The BBC spent four months filming a documentary about his European election campaign in 1999, but did not air it. Farage, then head of the UKIP's South East office, asked for a video and had friends make copies which were sold for £5 through the UKIP's magazine. Surrey Trading Standards investigated and Farage admitted the offence.<ref name=Rob>{{cite news |last=Watts |first=Robert |newspaper=The Sunday Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1545162/Making-plans-with-Nigel.html |title=Making plans with Nigel |location=London |date=11 March 2007 |archivedate=6 June 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080606071238/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/1545162/Making-plans-with-Nigel.html |url-status=live}}</ref> Farage was the leader of the 24-member UKIP contingent in the European Parliament, and co-leader of the multinational Eurosceptic group, Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy. Farage was ranked the fifth-most influential MEP by Politico in 2016, who described him as "one of the two most effective speakers in the chamber".<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.politico.eu/list/the-40-meps-who-actually-matter-european-parliament-mep/nigel-farage/|title=NIGEL FARAGE|date=19 May 2016|language=en-US|access-date=26 June 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160605033433/http://www.politico.eu/list/the-40-meps-who-actually-matter-european-parliament-mep/nigel-farage/|archivedate=5 June 2016}}</ref>

====Jacques Barrot====
On 18 November 2004 Farage announced in the European Parliament that Jacques Barrot, then French Commissioner-designate, had been barred from elected office in France for two years, after being convicted in 2000 of embezzling £2 million from government funds and diverting it into the coffers of his party. He said that French President Jacques Chirac had granted Barrot amnesty; initial BBC reports said that, under French law, it was perhaps illegal to mention that conviction.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/europe/4032113.stm |title=Profile: Jacques Barrot |work=BBC News |date=22 November 2004 |accessdate=8 June 2009 |archiveurl=https://archive.today/20120529171852/http://newswww.bbc.net.uk/2/hi/europe/4032113.stm |archivedate=29 May 2012 |url-status=live}}</ref> The prohibition in question applies only to French officials in the course of their duties.<ref>The prohibition contained in the French penal code against mentioning crimes covered by an amnesty only concerns French officials who may hear of such crimes in the course of their duties (CP L133-11), and does not apply generally (L133-10).</ref> The President of the Parliament, Josep Borrell, enjoined him to retract his comments under threat of "legal consequences".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPLkcgaWc0o |title=MEP Nigel Farage replies to Parliament President Josep Borrell |date=18 November 2004 |accessdate=22 November 2011 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910002624/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oPLkcgaWc0o |archivedate=10 September 2013}}</ref> The following day, it was confirmed that Barrot had received an eight-month suspended jail sentence in the case, and that this had been quickly expunged by the amnesty decided by Chirac and his parliamentary majority.<ref>[https://www.theguardian.com/world/2004/nov/26/france.eu "Barrot survives call to quit"]. ''The Guardian'', 26 November 2004</ref>

====José Manuel Barroso====
In early 2005 Farage requested that the European Commission disclose where the individual Commissioners had spent their holidays. The Commission did not provide the information requested, on the basis that the Commissioners had a right of privacy. The German newspaper ''Die Welt'' reported that the President of the European Commission, José Manuel Barroso, had spent a week on the yacht of the Greek shipping billionaire Spiros Latsis. It emerged soon afterwards that this had occurred a month before the Commission under Barroso's predecessor Romano Prodi approved 10.3 million euros of Greek state aid for Latsis's shipping company.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article223215.ece |title=Barroso survives confidence debate over free holiday with Greek tycoon |location=London |newspaper=The Independent |date=26 May 2005 |accessdate=8 June 2009 |first=Stephen |last=Castle |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20071001091311/http://news.independent.co.uk/europe/article223215.ece |archivedate=1 October 2007 |url-status=dead}}</ref> It also became known that Peter Mandelson, then the British EU Commissioner, had accepted a trip to Jamaica from an unrevealed source.<ref>{{cite news |title=Commissioners Under Fire for Luxury Trips |url=https://www.dw.com/en/commissioners-under-fire-for-luxury-trips/a-1555478 |publisher=Deutsche Welle |date=18 April 2005}}</ref>

Farage persuaded around 75 MEPs from across the political divide to back a motion of no confidence in Barroso, which would be sufficient to compel Barroso to appear before the European Parliament to be questioned on the issue.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aFq2hOeCcYZc&refer=europe |date=25 May 2005 |title=Barroso Fights No-Confidence Vote Amid French Treaty Debate |last=Neuger |first=James G. |work=Bloomberg L.P. |location=New York |accessdate=8 June 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116065904/http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=10000085&sid=aFq2hOeCcYZc&refer=europe |archivedate=16 November 2006 |url-status=dead}}</ref> The motion was successfully tabled on 12 May 2005, and Barroso appeared before Parliament<ref>{{cite news |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4578261.stm |title=Barroso rebuffs yacht questions |work=BBC News |date=25 May 2005 |accessdate=8 June 2009 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116065904/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/4578261.stm |archivedate=16 November 2006 |url-status=live}}</ref> at a debate on 26 May 2005. The motion was heavily defeated. A Conservative MEP, Roger Helmer, was expelled from his group, the European People's Party – European Democrats (EPP-ED), in the middle of the debate by that group's leader Hans-Gert Pöttering as a result of his support for Farage's motion.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

In 2013 Farage criticised Barroso's former membership in the Maoist Portuguese Workers' Communist Party, saying: "You are a man that likes fixed ideology, you probably picked it up when you were a communist or Maoist, or whatever you were, and for the last ten years you've pursued euro-federalism combined with an increasing green obsession."<ref>{{cite news |title=Barroso savages British Tories for 'looking like UKIP' |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/climate-environment/news/barroso-savages-british-tories-for-looking-like-ukip/ |work=EURACTIV |date=12 September 2013}}</ref>

====Herman Van Rompuy====
After the speech of Herman Van Rompuy on 24 February 2010 to the European Parliament, Farage&nbsp;– to protests from other MEPs&nbsp;– addressed the former Prime Minister of Belgium and first long-term President of the European Council, saying that he had the "charisma of a damp rag" and the appearance of "a low grade bank clerk".<ref name=bbc1>{{cite news |date=24 February 2010 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8535121.stm |title=Tirade against 'damp rag' EU president shocks MEPs |work=BBC News |accessdate=24 February 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100225025721/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8535121.stm |archivedate=25 February 2010 |url-status=live}}</ref> Farage questioned the legitimacy of Van Rompuy's appointment, asking, "Who are you? I'd never heard of you, nobody in Europe had ever heard of you." He also asserted that Van Rompuy's "intention [is] to be the quiet assassin of European democracy and of the European nation states".<ref name=bbc1/><ref>{{cite web |publisher=[[Company:YouTube|YouTube]] |work=EUX.TV |url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypLwI5AQvY |title=Nigel Farage harangues EU President Herman van Rompuy |accessdate=27 February 2010 |date=24 February 2010 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100309210826/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bypLwI5AQvY |archivedate=9 March 2010}}</ref> Van Rompuy commented afterwards, "There was one contribution that I can only hold in contempt, but I'm not going to comment further."<ref name=bbc1/> After refusing to apologise for behaviour that was, in the words of the President of the European Parliament, Jerzy Buzek, "inappropriate, unparliamentary and insulting to the dignity of the House", Farage was reprimanded and had his right to ten days' allowance (expenses) "docked".<ref>{{cite news |title=MEP Nigel Farage fined over 'insulting' tirade |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8544904.stm |work=BBC News |date=2 March 2010 |accessdate=21 March 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100304045601/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/europe/8544904.stm |archivedate=4 March 2010 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref name=Jerz>{{cite web|publisher=European Parliament |url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eng-internet-publisher/eplive/expert/shotlist/20100303SHL92842 |title=EP President Jerzy BUZEK on MEP Nigel FARAGE – 68659 |date=3 March 2010 |accessdate=21 March 2010 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100307164027/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/eng-internet-publisher/eplive/expert/shotlist/20100303SHL92842 |archivedate=7 March 2010  }}</ref>

Buzek said after his meeting with Farage:

<blockquote>
I defend absolutely Mr Farage's right to disagree about the policy or institutions of the [[Social:European Union|Union]], but not to personally insult our guests in the European Parliament or the country from which they may come... I myself fought for free speech as the absolute cornerstone of a democratic society. But with freedom comes responsibility&nbsp;– in this case, to respect the dignity of others and of our institutions. I am disappointed by Mr Farage's behaviour, which sits ill with the great parliamentary tradition of his own country. I cannot accept this sort of behaviour in the European Parliament. I invited him to apologise, but he declined to do so. I have therefore&nbsp;– as an expression of the seriousness of the matter&nbsp;– rescinded his right to ten days' daily allowance as a Member.<ref name=Jerz/>
</blockquote>

Questioned by Camilla Long of ''The Times'', Farage described his speech: "it wasn't abusive, it was right."<ref name=Long/>

====Prince Charles====
Charles, Prince of Wales was invited to speak to the European Parliament on 14 February 2008; in his speech he called for EU leadership in the battle against [[Earth:Climate change|climate change]]. During the standing ovation that followed, Farage was the only MEP to remain seated, and he went on to describe the Prince's advisers as "naïve and foolish at best."<ref name="BBC News">{{cite news |title=UKIP anger at prince's EU speech |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7245183.stm |date=14 February 2008 |accessdate=8 June 2009 |archivedate=17 February 2008 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20080217205903/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7245183.stm |url-status=live}}</ref> Farage continued: "How can somebody like Prince Charles be allowed to come to the European Parliament at this time to announce he thinks it should have more powers? It would have been better for the country he wants to rule one day if he had stayed home and tried to persuade Gordon Brown to give the people the promised referendum on the Treaty of Lisbon."

====Expenses disclosure====
In May 2009 ''The Observer'' reported a Foreign Press Association speech given by Farage in which he had said that over his ten years as a Member of the European Parliament he had received a total of £2 million of taxpayers' money in staff, travel, and other expenses.<ref name=Tob>{{cite news |work=The Observer |date=24 May 2009 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2009/may/24/mps-expenses-ukip-nigel-farage |title=Ukip leader boasts of his £2m in expenses |accessdate=8 June 2009 |first=Toby |last=Helm |location=London |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090527061523/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2009/may/24/mps-expenses-ukip-nigel-farage |archivedate=27 May 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> In response, Farage said that in future all UKIP MEPs would provide monthly expense details.<ref name=Tob/>

====2014 European election====
In a second visit to Edinburgh in May 2014 Farage correctly predicted that UKIP would win a Scottish seat in the European Parliament elections. Two hundred protesters heckled and booed him.<ref>{{cite news|date=9 May 2014 |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-27339519 |title=European election: Farage sure UKIP will win Scotland seat |accessdate=10 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140621233213/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-27339519 |archivedate=21 June 2014 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Thirty police in two vans were needed to preserve order.<ref>{{cite news|author1=Gardham, Magnus |author2=Donnelly, Brian |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/police-keep-the-peace-as-ukip-leader-returns-to-edinburgh.24189260 |title=Police keep the peace as Ukip leader returns to Edinburgh |date=10 May 2014 |work=The Herald |location=Glasgow |accessdate=10 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613021754/http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/police-keep-the-peace-as-ukip-leader-returns-to-edinburgh.24189260 |archivedate=13 June 2014 |url-status=live}}</ref>

In the European Parliament elections in 2014, Farage led UKIP to win the highest share of the vote. It was the first time a political party other than the Labour Party and [[Finance:Conservative Party (UK)|Conservative Party]] had won the popular vote in a national election since the 1906 general election.<ref name="FT UKIP and FN">{{cite news |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aad578e8-e463-11e3-a73a-00144feabdc0.html |title=Ukip and Front National lead populist earthquake |work=Financial Times |location=London |date=26 May 2014 |accessdate=31 May 2014 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140531064452/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/aad578e8-e463-11e3-a73a-00144feabdc0.html |archivedate=31 May 2014  }}</ref><ref name="Sky UKIP top polls">{{cite news|title=European Elections: UKIP Tops British Polls |url=http://news.sky.com/story/1268952/european-elections-ukip-tops-british-polls |work=Sky News |date=26 May 2014 |accessdate=31 May 2014 |archivedate=27 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527092300/http://news.sky.com/story/1268952/european-elections-ukip-tops-british-polls |url-status=live  }}</ref> It was also the first time a party other than the Labour and Conservatives won the largest number of seats in a national election since the December 1910 general election.<ref>{{cite news|title=UK's Eurosceptic UKIP party storms to victory in Europe vote|url=https://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/us-eu-elections-britain-idUSBREA4O0EM20140526|agency=Reuters|date=26 May 2014|accessdate=31 May 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140601001848/http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/26/us-eu-elections-britain-idUSBREA4O0EM20140526|archivedate=1 June 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/26/10-key-lessons-european-election-results |author=Mason, Rowena |title=10 key lessons from the European election results |work=The Guardian |location=London |url-status=live |date=26 May 2014 |accessdate=31 May 2014 |archivedate=27 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140527052458/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/26/10-key-lessons-european-election-results  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Lurching Right: UKIP Win Creates Pressure for Cameron and Europe |url=http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/ukip-wins-big-in-britain-and-creates-challenge-for-cameron-and-europe-a-971968.html |work=Der Spiegel |location=Hamburg |date=27 May 2014 |accessdate=31 May 2014 |author=Volkery, Carsten |archivedate=28 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140528000403/http://www.spiegel.de/international/europe/ukip-wins-big-in-britain-and-creates-challenge-for-cameron-and-europe-a-971968.html |url-status=live  }}</ref>

====Undeclared gifts====
In June 2014 Farage declared £205,603 for gifts over 10 years, including free use of a barn for his constituency office, which had been declared in the EU register in Brussels each year. The Electoral Commission said that the gifts should have been also declared in the UK within 30 days of receipt and fined Farage £200.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27818780 |title=UKIP leader Nigel Farage declares £205,603 in gifts |author=Hawkins, Ross |work=BBC News |date=12 June 2014 |accessdate=12 June 2014 |archivedate=13 June 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140613021757/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27818780 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite web | url = https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/journalist/electoral-commission-media-centre/news-releases-donations/electoral-commission-concludes-two-party-finance-cases | title = Electoral Commission concludes two party finance cases | date = 21 October 2014 | publisher = Electoral Commission (United Kingdom) | access-date = 3 July 2018 | archive-url = https://web.archive.org/web/20150628164218/https://www.electoralcommission.org.uk/i-am-a/journalist/electoral-commission-media-centre/news-releases-donations/electoral-commission-concludes-two-party-finance-cases | archive-date = 28 June 2015}}</ref>

====Jean-Claude Juncker====
In early November 2014, just days after becoming head of the European Commission, the former Luxembourg's Prime Minister Jean-Claude Juncker was hit by media disclosures—derived from a document leak known as [[Finance:Luxembourg Leaks|Luxembourg Leaks]]—that Luxembourg under his premiership had turned into a major European centre of corporate [[Finance:Tax avoidance|tax avoidance]].<ref>{{cite web|title=Luxembourg tax files: how tiny state rubber-stamped tax avoidance on an industrial scale|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/nov/05/-sp-luxembourg-tax-files-tax-avoidance-industrial-scale|website=The Guardian|date=5 November 2014}}</ref> A subsequent motion of censure in the European Parliament was brought against Juncker over his role in the tax avoidance schemes. The motion was defeated by a large majority.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2014/nov/27/meps-reject-censure-motion-jean-claude-juncker-luxembourg-tax-avoidance|title=Jean-Claude Juncker saved from censure over Luxembourg tax schemes|author=Ian Traynor|work=the Guardian|date=27 November 2014}}</ref> Farage was one of the main drivers behind the censure motion.<ref>{{cite news |title=Jean-Claude Juncker faces vote calling for his resignation |url=https://www.ft.com/content/d3aa2e72-6f4a-11e4-b50f-00144feabdc0 |work=Financial Times |date=18 November 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |title=Socialists slam extreme right's censure motion against Juncker |url=https://www.euractiv.com/section/eu-priorities-2020/news/socialists-slam-extreme-right-s-censure-motion-against-juncker/ |work=EURACTIV |date=24 November 2014}}</ref>

===UKIP formation, leadership and resignations===
[[File:Nigel Farage of UKIP.jpg|thumb|Farage at the UKIP Conference in 2009]]
Farage was a founder member of UKIP in 1993. On 12 September 2006 he was elected leader of UKIP with 45 percent of the vote, 20 [[Percentage point|percentage point]]s ahead of his nearest rival.<ref>{{cite press release |url=http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2526 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061013075242/http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2526 |archivedate=13 October 2006 |url-status=dead |title=Nigel Farage is the new Leader of the UK Independence Party |publisher=UKIP |date=12 September 2006}}</ref> He pledged to bring discipline to the party and to maximise UKIP's representation in local, parliamentary and other elections. In a ''PM'' programme interview on BBC Radio 4 that day he pledged to end the public perception of UKIP as a single-issue party and to work with allied politicians in the Better Off Out campaign, committing himself not to stand against the MPs who have signed up to that campaign.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6209386.stm |title=UKIP leader 'offered Tory seat' |first=Brian |last=Wheeler |work=BBC News |date=5 December 2006 |accessdate=12 October 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061206231332/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/6209386.stm |archivedate=6 December 2006  }}</ref>

In his maiden speech to the UKIP conference, on 8 October 2006, Farage told delegates that the party was "at the centre-ground of British public opinion" and the "real voice of opposition". He said: "We've got three social democratic parties in Britain – Labour, Lib Dem and Conservative are virtually indistinguishable from each other on nearly all the main issues" and "you can't put a cigarette paper between them and that is why there are nine million people who don't vote now in general elections that did back in 1992."<ref>{{cite news|title=UKIP 'voice of British majority' |work=BBC News |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5415252.stm?ls |date=7 October 2006 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130919230637/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/5415252.stm?ls |archivedate=19 September 2013  }}</ref>

At 10pm on 19 October 2006, Farage took part in a three-hour live interview and phone-in with [[Biography:James Whale (radio)|James Whale]] on the national radio station talkSPORT. Four days later, Whale announced on his show his intention to stand as UKIP's candidate in the 2008 London Mayoral Election. Farage said that Whale "not only has guts, but an understanding of what real people think". Whale later decided not to stand and UKIP was represented by Gerard Batten.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.ukip.org/ukip_news/gen12.php?t=1&id=2687 |title=London Mayoral Elections |accessdate=24 October 2006  }}{{dead link|date=May 2017|bot=medic}}{{cbignore|bot=medic}}</ref><!--Why are you Bot medic?  -->

Farage stood again for the UKIP leadership in 2010 (having stood down the year before, to focus on his unsuccessful campaign for the Buckingham seat) after his successor Lord Pearson had stood down,<ref name="Sparrow"/> and on 5 November 2010 it was announced he had won the leadership contest.<ref name="sky20101105">{{cite news |work=Sky News |url=http://news.sky.com/story/817965/nigel-farage-re-elected-ukip-party-leader |title=Nigel Farage Re-Elected UKIP Party Leader |date=5 November 2010 |author=Barnett, Ruth |accessdate=22 November 2011 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121012180508/http://news.sky.com/story/817965/nigel-farage-re-elected-ukip-party-leader |archivedate=12 October 2012 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

In May 2014 Farage led UKIP to win the European Parliament election with 4,376,635 votes,<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/vote2014/eu-uk-results|title=Vote 2014 Election Results for the EU Parliament UK regions – BBC News|work=bbc.co.uk|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609080832/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/events/vote2014/eu-uk-results|archivedate=9 June 2017}}</ref> the first time a UK political party other than Labour or Conservatives had won a national election in over 100 years. Farage was returned as MEP for the South East region, a seat he has represented since 1999.

As an MEP, Farage leads the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy grouping in the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.efdgroup.eu/members |title=Members |work=efdgroup.eu |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317042838/http://www.efdgroup.eu/members |archivedate=17 March 2015 |access-date=2 April 2015}}</ref>

On 8 May 2015 Farage resigned as leader of UKIP after he failed to win the seat of Thanet South in the general election held the previous day, although he kept open the possibility of re-entering the ensuing leadership contest.<ref name="BBC News 8 May 2015">{{cite web |title=Nigel Farage resigns as UKIP leader |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32654046 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=8 May 2015 |website=BBC News |accessdate=11 May 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511010550/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/election-2015-32654046 |archivedate=11 May 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

On 11 May 2015 it was announced that Farage would continue to serve as the party's leader, with the BBC reporting: "Party chairman Steve Crowther said the national executive committee believed the election campaign had been a ‘great success’ and members had ‘unanimously’ rejected Mr Farage's letter of resignation".<ref name="BBC News 11 May 2015">{{cite web |title=Farage stays as UKIP leader after resignation rejected |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32696505 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=11 May 2015 |website=BBC News |accessdate=11 May 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150511154348/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32696505 |archivedate=11 May 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref> Interviewed about his continued leadership by the BBC the following day, Farage said: "I resigned. I said I'd resign. I turned up to the NEC meeting with letter in hand fully intending to carry that through. They unanimously said they didn't want me to do that, they presented me with petitions, signatures, statements from candidates saying it would be a bad thing for UKIP. So I left the meeting, went and sat in darkened room to think about what to do, and decided for the interest of the party I would accept their kind offer for me to stay and tear up the letter." He added that he would consider standing for parliament again should a by-election be called in a Labour-held seat.<ref name="BBC News 12 May 2015">{{cite web |title=Nigel Farage hints at Labour by-election |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32710708 |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=12 May 2015 |website=BBC News |accessdate=12 May 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150513115050/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-32710708 |archivedate=13 May 2015 |df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Farage resigned as UKIP leader on 4 July 2016 with the following comment: "During the <nowiki>[</nowiki>Brexit<nowiki>]</nowiki> referendum I said I wanted my country back ... now I want my life back"<ref>{{cite news |last=Mason |first=Rowena |date=4 July 2016 |title=Nigel Farage resigns as Ukip leader after 'achieving political ambition' of Brexit |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/04/nigel-farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London, UK |access-date=4 July 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705150119/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/04/nigel-farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader |archivedate=5 July 2016}}</ref> and added that this resignation was final: "I won’t be changing my mind again, I can promise you",<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-04/farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader-adding-to-brexit-political-turmoil |title=Farage Resigns as UKIP Leader After Brexit Vote |last=Kennedy |first=Simon |date=4 July 2016 |website=Bloomberg |publisher=Bloomberg L.P. |access-date=4 July 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704100027/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-04/farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader-adding-to-brexit-political-turmoil |archivedate=4 July 2016}}</ref> apparently referring to his two previous resignations (in 2009 and 2015).<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/brexit-ukip-leader-nigel-farage-resigns-160704091835096.html |title=Brexit: UKIP leader Nigel Farage resigns |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |date=4 July 2016 |website=Al Jazeera English |publisher=Al Jazeera |access-date= |quote=After running divisive campaign to leave the EU, Farage quits, while Britain faces economic and political challenges. |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704112739/http://www.aljazeera.com/news/2016/07/brexit-ukip-leader-nigel-farage-resigns-160704091835096.html |archivedate=4 July 2016}}</ref>

===Westminster elections===
Farage has contested British parliamentary elections unsuccessfully for UKIP seven times, both before and after his election as an MEP in 1999. Under the 2002 European Union decision to forbid MEPs from holding a dual mandate, if he had been elected to the House of Commons, he would have had to resign his seat as an MEP.

When he contested the Bromley & Chislehurst constituency in a May 2006 by-election, following the death of Eurosceptic Conservative MP Eric Forth, Farage came third, winning 8 per cent of the vote, beating the Labour Party candidate. This was the second-best by-election result recorded by UKIP out of 25 results, and the first time since the Liverpool Walton by-election in 1991 that a party in government had been pushed into fourth place in a parliamentary by-election on mainland Britain. {{citation needed|date=November 2018}}

====2010 general election====
On 4 September 2009 Farage resigned as the UKIP's leader to focus on his campaign to become Member of Parliament for Buckingham at Westminster in the 2010 general election.<ref>{{cite news |work=BBC News |date=4 September 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8237304.stm |title=Farage to quit as leader of UKIP |accessdate=28 April 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090930001212/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8237304.stm |archivedate=30 September 2009 |url-status=live}}</ref> He later told ''The Times'' journalist Camilla Long that UKIP internal fights took up far too much time.<ref name="Long">{{cite news |author=Long, Camilla |location=London |newspaper=The Sunday Times |url-access=subscription  |url=http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7069638.ece |title=Nigel Farage: Brimming over with bile and booze |date=21 March 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110811094714/http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/politics/article7069638.ece |archivedate=11 August 2011 |url-status=live}}</ref>

Farage stood against sitting Buckingham MP, [[Biography:John Bercow|John Bercow]], the newly elected Speaker of the House of Commons, despite the convention that the Speaker, as a political neutral, is not normally challenged in his or her bid for re-election by any of the major parties.<ref>{{cite news|work=BBC News |date=3 September 2009 |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8235626.stm |title=Farage to stand against Speaker |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20090905015156/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/politics/8235626.stm |archivedate=5 September 2009 |url-status=live  }}</ref>

Farage came third with 8,401 votes. Bercow was re-elected and in second place with 10,331 votes was John Stevens, a former Conservative MEP who campaigned as an independent accompanied by "Flipper the Dolphin" (a reference to MPs - including Bercow - flipping second homes).<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2010/may/07/nigel-farage-ukip-john-bercow |title=Election results: Ukip's Nigel Farage finishes behind John Bercow and Flipper |last=Dowling |first=Tim |work=The Guardian |accessdate=7 May 2010 |location=London |date=7 May 2010 |archivedate=11 May 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100511010455/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2010/may/07/nigel-farage-ukip-john-bercow |url-status=live  }}</ref>

====Injury in air crash====
On 6 May 2010, the morning of the election, Farage was travelling in a two-seater [[Engineering:PZL-104 Wilga|PZL-104 Wilga]] aircraft with a pro-UKIP banner attached, when the plane crashed.<ref name=edwards/> Farage suffered injuries that were described as non-life-threatening.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/northamptonshire/8664260.stm |title=Nigel Farage injured in plane crash in Northamptonshire |work=BBC News |date=6 May 2010 |archivedate=7 May 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100507191730/http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/england/northamptonshire/8664260.stm |url-status=live  }}</ref> Although his injuries were originally described as minor,<ref name=edwards>{{cite news|title=Ukip's Nigel Farage has lucky escape after election stunt plane crash |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7685912/General-Election-2010-Ukips-Nigel-Farage-has-lucky-escape-after-election-stunt-plane-crash.html |date=7 May 2010 |location=London |first=Richard |last=Edwards |accessdate=20 May 2010 |archivedate=10 May 2010 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100510002651/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/election-2010/7685912/General-Election-2010-Ukips-Nigel-Farage-has-lucky-escape-after-election-stunt-plane-crash.html  }}</ref> his sternum and ribs were broken and his lung punctured.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage: born to rant |last=Farndale |first=Nigel |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/ukip/8128877/Nigel-Farage-born-to-rant.html |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=18 November 2010 |accessdate=23 November 2010 |location=London |archivedate=21 November 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101121111516/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/newstopics/politics/ukip/8128877/Nigel-Farage-born-to-rant.html |url-status=live  }}</ref> The [[Organization:Air Accidents Investigation Branch|Air Accidents Investigation Branch]] (AAIB) report said that the aeroplane was towing a banner, which caught in the tailplane, forcing the nose down.<ref>{{cite web|accessdate=23 November 2010 |url=http://www.aaib.gov.uk/cms_resources/PZL-104%20Wilga%2035A,%20G-BWDF%2011-2010.pdf|title=AAIB Bulletin: 11/2010 G-BWDF 6&nbsp;May 2010 at 0659 hrs|publisher=[[Organization:Air Accidents Investigation Branch|Air Accidents Investigation Branch]]}}</ref>

On 1 December 2010 Justin Adams, the pilot of the aircraft involved in the accident, was charged with threatening to kill Farage in a separate incident. He was also charged with threatening to kill an AAIB official involved in the investigation into the accident.<ref name=BBC11886985>{{cite news|work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-11886985 |title=Crash pilot 'threatened to kill UKIP's Nigel Farage' |date=1 December 2010 |accessdate=1 December 2010 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20101202045231/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-northamptonshire-11886985 |archivedate=2 December 2010 |url-status=live  }}</ref> In April 2011, the pilot was found guilty of making death threats. The judge said that the defendant was "clearly extremely disturbed" at the time the offences happened, adding: "He is a man who does need help. If I can find a way of giving him help I will."<ref name=Beeb>{{cite news|work=BBC News |date=14 April 2011 |accessdate=14 April 2011 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-13082655 |title=Nigel Farage death threats crash pilot guilty |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110415090431/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-oxfordshire-13082655 |archivedate=15 April 2011 |url-status=live  }}</ref> Adams was given a two-year supervised community order, and in December 2013 was found dead at home in circumstances that police said were "not being treated as suspicious".<ref name="BBC-25280591">{{cite web |title=Farage-threat pilot found dead |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-25280591 |publisher=BBC News |accessdate=25 May 2019 |date=7 December 2013}}</ref>

====2015 general election====
In October 2013 Farage announced on the BBC's ''The Andrew Marr Show'' that he would stand for election as an MP at the 2015 United Kingdom general election, most likely contesting either Folkestone and Hythe or South Thanet; meanwhile he stated that his duty and preference was to focus on his current role as an MEP.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24419317|title=Nigel Farage: I will stand as MP at next general election|date=6 October 2013|work=BBC News|accessdate=12 October 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006101317/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-24419317|archivedate=6 October 2013}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone/news/ukip-leader-could-target-kent-7007/|title=UKIP leader Nigel Farage could go for Folkestone and Hythe constituency at 2015 election|last=Francis|first=Paul|work=Kent Messenger|accessdate=12 October 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20131006123828/http://www.kentonline.co.uk/folkestone_express/news/ukip-leader-could-target-kent-7007/|archivedate=6 October 2013}}</ref>

In August 2014 Farage was selected as the UKIP candidate for South Thanet following local [[Social:Husting|husting]]s.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28801303|title=UKIP's Nigel Farage seeking South Thanet selection|date=15 August 2014|work=BBC News|accessdate=17 August 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140816095021/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-28801303|archivedate=16 August 2014}}</ref> On 12 September 2014, he appeared at a pro-union rally with Scottish UKIP MEP David Coburn ahead of Scotland's independence referendum.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29003017|title=Scottish independence: Nigel Farage to appear at UKIP pro-Union rally|date=31 August 2014|work=BBC News|accessdate=31 August 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831162746/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-scotland-scotland-politics-29003017|archivedate=31 August 2014}}</ref>

In October 2014 Farage was invited to take part in prospective Leaders' debates on BBC, ITV, Channel 4 and Sky ahead of the 2015 General Election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29595529|title=UKIP's Nigel Farage invited on leaders' TV debate|date=13 October 2014|work=BBC News|accessdate=13 October 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141013090529/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-29595529|archivedate=13 October 2014}}</ref> UKIP indicated that it would consider taking legal action were the [[Social:Political party|party]] excluded, in contravention of established broadcast media rules, from televised Party Leaders' debates in advance of the 2015 General Election.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-warns-let-ukip-into-studio-for-tv-election-debates-or-ill-take-you-to-court-8640326.html|title=Nigel Farage warns: Let Ukip into studio for TV election debates or I'll take you to court|last=Wright|first=Oliver|date=31 May 2013|newspaper=The Independent|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130601165412/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-warns-let-ukip-into-studio-for-tv-election-debates-or-ill-take-you-to-court-8640326.html|archivedate=1 June 2013|location=London}}</ref> The 7-way Leaders' TV debate was broadcast by ITV on 2 April 2015 from MediaCityUK, Salford Quays. Of three polls taken immediately afterwards, the ComRes poll had Farage as joint winner, alongside Labour's Ed Miliband and Conservative David Cameron.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11509641/Leaders-election-debate-Farage-and-Sturgeon-win-says-poll-live-reaction.html|title=Election debate 2015 LIVE: Cameron and Miliband face rival leaders|date=2 April 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150406024613/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/general-election-2015/11509641/Leaders-election-debate-Farage-and-Sturgeon-win-says-poll-live-reaction.html|archivedate=6 April 2015}}</ref>

In March 2015 Farage declared in his book ''The Purple Revolution'' that he would step down as UKIP leader should he not be elected as an MP; he stated his belief that it would not be "credible" for him to lead UKIP without sitting in parliament at Westminster.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/nigel-farage-will-quit-as-ukip-leader-if-he-fails-to-win-a-seat-at-general-election-10109927.html|title=Nigel Farage will quit as Ukip leader if he fails to win a seat at general election|last1=Apps|first1=Peter|date=16 March 2015|work=The Independent|accessdate=16 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150317024620/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/generalelection/nigel-farage-will-quit-as-ukip-leader-if-he-fails-to-win-a-seat-at-general-election-10109927.html|archivedate=17 March 2015}}</ref>

On 22 March 2015 Farage was targeted by anti-UKIP activists who chased him and his family from a pub lunch in Downe, Kent. His daughters ran away to hide and were later found to be safe. Farage, when asked what he thought about the incident, called the protesters "scum".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32009961|title=London protesters' chase UKIP leader Farage out of pub'|date=22 March 2015|work=BBC News|accessdate=23 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150322222006/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-32009961|archivedate=22 March 2015}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/22/farage-calls-anti-ukip-protesters-who-forced-him-out-of-pub-scum|title=Farage calls anti-Ukip protesters who forced him out of pub 'scum'|date=23 March 2015|work=The Guardian|accessdate=29 April 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150324095746/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/22/farage-calls-anti-ukip-protesters-who-forced-him-out-of-pub-scum|archivedate=24 March 2015}}</ref>

====2015 resignation announced====
Farage was unsuccessful in his bid to become MP for South Thanet<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2015/may/08/election-2015-live-labour-and-libdems-crushed-in-shock-election-result#block-554c832ae4b0c7299d72ca93|title=Election live: results day – as it happened|date=|work=The Guardian|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150514154513/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/live/2015/may/08/election-2015-live-labour-and-libdems-crushed-in-shock-election-result#block-554c832ae4b0c7299d72ca93|archivedate=14 May 2015|accessdate=14 May 2015}}</ref> although he came second (beating Labour by over 4,000 votes), reduced the Conservative majority to less than 3,000, and gained over 32% of the vote. He subsequently announced his resignation as the leader of UKIP, citing that he is a "man of his word" since he promised to resign if he did not win his seat. However, on 11 May 2015, the party chairman said they would not accept Mr Farage's post-election resignation because the party's "election campaign had been a great success".<ref>{{cite news|url=http://news.sky.com/story/1481942/ukip-rejects-nigel-farages-resignation|title=UKIP Rejects Nigel Farage's Resignation|date=|work=News.sky.com|accessdate=14 May 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150512164351/http://news.sky.com/story/1481942/ukip-rejects-nigel-farages-resignation|archivedate=12 May 2015}}</ref>

A row subsequently developed within the party, in which MEP and campaign chief Patrick O'Flynn described Farage's public image as "snarling, thin-skinned, aggressive" and said he risked turning the party into a "personality cult". O'Flynn accused Farage of paying too much attention to advisors that "would like to take UKIP in the direction of some hard-right, ultra-aggressive American Tea Party-type movement", singling out the NHS and gun control liberalisation as particular issues. Raheem Kassam, Farage's chief of staff and editor of Breitbart London was later sacked as a result, whilst O'Flynn stated that he continued to support Farage as party leader.<ref name="BBC News 14 May 2015">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32734220|title=UKIP adviser sacked in Nigel Farage row|date=14 May 2015|work=BBC News|accessdate=14 May 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150517064059/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-32734220|archivedate=17 May 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref> Farage also faced a number of calls from senior figures within the party to stand down.<ref name="The Guardian 14 May 2015">{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/14/nigel-farage-facing-a-coup-over-ukip-leadership|title=Nigel Farage 'facing a coup' over Ukip leadership|last=Mason|first=Rowena|date=14 May 2015|work={{wipe|The Guardian}}|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518093055/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/14/nigel-farage-facing-a-coup-over-ukip-leadership|archivedate=18 May 2015|accessdate=14 May 2015|df=dmy-all}}</ref>

Following the election, a UKIP spokesman acknowledged<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-spy-attempted-to-encourage-abuse-nigel-of-farage-and-criminal-damage-10254888.html|title=UKIP sent insider into protest group|last1=Ward|first1=Alexander|date=16 May 2015|work=The Independent|accessdate=16 May 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150519025011/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/ukip-spy-attempted-to-encourage-abuse-nigel-of-farage-and-criminal-damage-10254888.html|archivedate=19 May 2015}}</ref> that after a series of threatening attacks on Farage it had sent an informant into the Thanet branch of the protest organisation Stand Up to UKIP, stating "in order to provide reasonable security it was of course necessary to have information from the inside", an approach he said was used by "a great many security operations tasked with protecting the safety and wellbeing of a targeted individual". According to ''{{wipe|The Guardian}}'', the informant is alleged to have actively encouraged members to commit criminal damage. Farage had said he was the victim of "trade union-funded activists" who were inciting vandalism.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/16/ukip-spy-who-infiltrated-protest-group-tried-to-encourage-abuse-of-farage|title=Ukip spy who infiltrated protest group 'tried to encourage abuse of Farage'|author=Rowena Mason|date=16 May 2015|work=The Guardian|accessdate=16 May 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150518013753/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/may/16/ukip-spy-who-infiltrated-protest-group-tried-to-encourage-abuse-of-farage|archivedate=18 May 2015}}</ref>
===2012 London mayoral election===
UKIP forgot to put its party name on its candidate's ballot paper for the 2012 London mayoral election,<ref name="up">{{cite news|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/how-ukip-became-fresh-choice-london |title=How UKIP became "Fresh Choice for London" |work=New Statesman |location=London |last=Eaton |first=George |date=4 May 2012 |accessdate=1 June 2012 |archivedate=7 May 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120507012523/http://www.newstatesman.com/blogs/politics/2012/05/how-ukip-became-fresh-choice-london |url-status=live  }}</ref> Laurence Webb appearing as "a fresh choice for London". Farage described the mistake as an internal error.<ref name="up" /> Interviewed the following Sunday by Andrew Neil and asked about "the game plan", Farage welcomed the "average 13% vote" across the country, and stated that the party was preparing for county council elections in 2013, the European Parliament election in 2014 and a general election in 2015.<ref name="andy">{{cite news |accessdate=1 June 2012 |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17974787 |title=Nigel Farage calls on Conservative MPs to join UKIP |work=BBC News |date=6 May 2012 |archivedate=9 May 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20120509070446/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17974787 |url-status=live  }}</ref>
[[File:Nigel Farage talking to the media.jpg|thumbnail|left|Farage at the opening of the UKIP office in Basingstoke, in 2012]]
Asked what would happen to UKIP if the Conservatives made a manifesto commitment to a referendum on EU membership, Farage said they had already failed to honour a "cast iron" commitment to a referendum on the Lisbon Treaty.<ref name="andy" /> Farage said that UKIP aspired to come top of the European elections, but Neil suggested UKIP were still seen as "unprofessional, amateur and even unacceptable".<ref name="andy" /> In the same interview, Farage described Baroness Warsi as "the lowest grade Chairman the Tory Party has ever had".<ref name="andy" /> He was voted politician of the year by the [[Online service provider|online service]] [[Software:MSN|MSN]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Green |first=William |url=http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/ukip%E2%80%99s-nigel-farage-named-top-uk-politician-of-2012 |title=Ukip's Nigel Farage named top UK politician of 2012 |work=MSN News |date=31 December 2012 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130102163318/http://news.uk.msn.com/uk/ukip%E2%80%99s-nigel-farage-named-top-uk-politician-of-2012 |archivedate=2 January 2013 |url-status=dead |access-date=12 April 2013 }}</ref>

===2013 local elections===
In May 2013 Farage led UKIP to its best performance in a UK election. The party received 23 per cent of the vote in the local elections, winning 147 council seats, and placing it only 2 points behind the governing Conservative Party and 9 points ahead of the Liberal Democrats. Farage was mobbed by well-wishers as he made his way to his favourite pub, the Marquis of Granby, for a celebratory drink.<ref name="Tel20130503">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10036463/Local-elections-2013-Nigel-Farages-Ukip-surges-to-best-ever-showing-winning-150-seats.html |title=Local elections 2013: Nigel Farage's Ukip surges to best ever showing, winning 150 seats |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=3 May 2013 |archivedate=4 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130504090045/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10036463/Local-elections-2013-Nigel-Farages-Ukip-surges-to-best-ever-showing-winning-150-seats.html |url-status=live  }}</ref> He called the victory "a real sea change in British politics".<ref name="Tel20130503" /> Subsequently, polling agency Survation found that 22 per cent of voters intended to support UKIP in the 2015 General Election.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://survation.com/2013/05/survation-for-the-mail-on-sunday-reaction-to-the-woolwich-incident/ |title=Survation for the Mail on Sunday, Reaction to the Woolwich incident |publisher=Survation (blog) |date=25 May 2013 |archivedate=15 September 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130915155650/http://survation.com/2013/05/survation-for-the-mail-on-sunday-reaction-to-the-woolwich-incident/ |url-status=dead |access-date=27 May 2013  }}</ref>

In May 2013 Farage was interrupted by protesters during a press conference in the Canon's Gait pub on Edinburgh's Royal Mile. The demonstration was organised by groups including the Radical Independence Campaign and saw protesters vocally accuse Farage of being "racist", "fascist", and a "homophobe", and tell him to "go back to London". Farage made attempts to leave by taxi but was prevented from doing so, and was eventually taken away in an armoured police van while protesters continued to shout.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/nigel-farage-forced-to-flee-edinburgh-s-royal-mile-1-2933645 |title=Nigel Farage forced to flee Edinburgh's Royal Mile |date=16 May 2013 |work=The Scotsman |location=Edinburgh |accessdate=16 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130518024014/http://www.scotsman.com/news/odd/nigel-farage-forced-to-flee-edinburgh-s-royal-mile-1-2933645 |url-status=live |archivedate=18 May 2013  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22559526 |title=Farage swarmed by angry protesters in Edinburgh |date=16 May 2013 |work=BBC News |accessdate=16 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517014354/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22559526 |archivedate=17 May 2013 |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage flees barrage of abuse from Edinburgh protesters |last=Carrell |first=Severin |date=16 May 2013 |accessdate=18 May 2013 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/may/16/nigel-farage-edinburgh-protesters-van |newspaper=The Guardian |location=London |archivedate=17 May 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130517053616/http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2013/may/16/nigel-farage-edinburgh-protesters-van |url-status=live  }}</ref> He was trying to raise the profile of UKIP in Scotland ahead of the Aberdeen Donside by-election; the party at that point had no representation in the country, and took 0.91 per cent of the vote in the previous election<ref>{{cite news|newspaper=The Herald |location=Glasgow |url=http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/nigel-farage-in-bid-to-woo-scots-voters.2013058317 |title=Farrago as Nigel Farage is rescued by police from protesters |date=16 May 2013 |accessdate=16 May 2013 |archivedate=28 April 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428041752/http://www.heraldscotland.com/politics/referendum-news/nigel-farage-in-bid-to-woo-scots-voters.2013058317 |url-status=live  }}</ref> though it won its first Scottish MEP the following year. During an interview with BBC's ''Good Morning Scotland'' radio show, Farage cut short the exchange, stating that the questions regarding the incident in Edinburgh were insulting and unpleasant.<ref>{{cite news|date=17 May 2013 |work=BBC News |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22566180 |title=Nigel Farage blasts 'anti-English' protesters |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130522041113/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-scotland-22566180 |archivedate=22 May 2013 |url-status=live |accessdate=18 May 2013  }}</ref>

===Tax avoidance===

Farage said in 2013 that he had hired a tax advisor to set up the Farage Family Educational Trust 1654, a trust that Farage said was used "for inheritance purposes", on the Isle of Man.<ref name="Syal June 2013">{{cite news|last1=Syal|first1=Rajeev|title=Nigel Farage admits setting up tax haven trust fund was a mistake|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jun/21/nigel-farage-tax-haven-trust-fund-mistake|work=The Guardian|date=21 June 2013|language=en-GB|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226175901/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/jun/21/nigel-farage-tax-haven-trust-fund-mistake|archivedate=26 December 2016}}</ref> Farage later described this "as standard practice", but stated he "decided I didn't want it. I never ever used it. The Isle of Man is not a tax haven."<ref>{{cite news|title=Farage gives 'a big no' to publishing tax returns|url=http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-c614-Farage-gives-a-big-no-to-publishing-tax-returns|accessdate=19 April 2016|work=Morning Star|date=12 April 2016|page=3|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427221819/http://morningstaronline.co.uk/a-c614-Farage-gives-a-big-no-to-publishing-tax-returns|archivedate=27 April 2016}}</ref> Farage has since said that this was a mistake: that he was "not rich enough" to need it, that what was seen to be fair 10, 20 or 30 years ago wasn't anymore, and that it cost him money.<ref name="Syal June 2013" /> He has criticised the political discourse surrounding tax avoidance as a "[[Finance:Race to the bottom|race to the bottom]]".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|title=Nigel Farage defends and denies 'straightforward' tax avoidance|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/13/nigel-farage-defends-denies-straightforward-tax-avoidance|accessdate=19 April 2016|work=The Guardian|date=13 February 2015|language=en-GB|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160426233719/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/feb/13/nigel-farage-defends-denies-straightforward-tax-avoidance|archivedate=26 April 2016}}</ref> The BBC reported: "The Isle of Man was one of the UK's crown dependencies which signed an agreement on corporate disclosure at a recent meeting with David Cameron amid claims that individuals and firms are using offshore locations to reduce their tax liabilities", adding that the Isle of Man rejects any allegations that they are used for the purpose of tax avoidance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage admits offshore tax 'mistake'|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23001529|work=BBC News|date=21 June 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226180002/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-23001529|archivedate=26 December 2016}}</ref>

Farage had previously denounced [[Finance:Tax avoidance|tax avoidance]] in a speech to the European Parliament in which he criticised European bureaucrats who earned £100,000 a year and paid 12 per cent tax under EU rules,<ref>{{cite news|last1=Eaton|first1=George|title=Watch: Nigel Farage denounces tax avoidance in speech last month|url=http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/06/watch-nigel-farage-denounces-tax-avoidance-speech-last-month|work=New Statesman|date=21 June 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160422015706/http://www.newstatesman.com/politics/2013/06/watch-nigel-farage-denounces-tax-avoidance-speech-last-month|archivedate=22 April 2016}}</ref> Farage said in 2014 that "most legal forms of [[Finance:Tax avoidance|tax avoidance]] are ok, but clearly some are not" after he was questioned on why £45,000 of his income was paid into his private company rather than a personal bank account, and that criticism of his actions was "ridiculous".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|title=Most forms of legal tax avoidance are ok, says Nigel Farage|url=https://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/04/legal-tax-avoidance-ok-nigel-farage|work=The Guardian|date=4 June 2014|language=en-GB|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160427040002/http://www.theguardian.com/business/2014/jun/04/legal-tax-avoidance-ok-nigel-farage|archivedate=27 April 2016}}</ref> In the wake of the [[Panama Papers]] leak, Farage said that the possibility of him releasing his tax return was a "big no" as "I think in this country what people earn is regarded as a private matter",<ref>{{cite news|last1=Stone|first1=Jon|last2=Cooper|first2=Charlie|title=Nigel Farage is refusing to publish his tax return|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-tax-return-avoidance-evasion-haven-refuses-to-publish-details-a6978861.html|accessdate=19 April 2016|work=The Independent|date=11 April 2016|language=en-GB|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414011306/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-tax-return-avoidance-evasion-haven-refuses-to-publish-details-a6978861.html|archivedate=14 April 2016}}</ref> and criticised David Cameron as hypocritical, especially with regard to his past comments about [[Biography:Jimmy Carr|Jimmy Carr]]'s tax avoidance.<ref>{{cite news|title=Will Nigel Farage Publish Tax Return? "Absolutely Not"|url=http://www.lbc.co.uk/will-nigel-farage-publish-tax-return-absolutely-not-128442|work=LBC radio|url-status=dead|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160414104724/http://www.lbc.co.uk/will-nigel-farage-publish-tax-return-absolutely-not-128442|archivedate=14 April 2016}}</ref>

Farage has continued to have fees paid to him via a limited company, Thorn in the Side Ltd.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/apr/03/nigel-farage-uses-private-company-reduce-tax-bill-ukip|title=Nigel Farage uses private company to reduce tax bill|first=Rajeev|last=Syal|date=3 April 2014|accessdate=14 March 2019|website=Theguardian.com}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/mar/13/nigel-farage-company-thorn-in-the-side-assets-up-400000|title='Skint' Nigel Farage's company assets grew almost £400k last year|first=Ben|last=Quinn|date=13 March 2019|accessdate=14 March 2019|website=Theguardian.com}}</ref>
==Brexit==
===2016 referendum===
Farage was a key figurehead in the Brexit campaign of 2016,<ref name=history/> which, with 52 per cent of the vote, won. Jean-Claude Juncker promptly told all UKIP members to leave the Parliament.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/26/the-eu-will-treat-britain-like-greece/ |title=The EU will treat Britain like Greece |first=Matthew |last=Holehouse |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=26 June 2016 |accessdate=26 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160626080533/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/26/the-eu-will-treat-britain-like-greece/ |archivedate=26 June 2016  }}</ref> During the campaign, Farage had made the suggestion of a future second referendum should the Brexit campaign be unsuccessful, but the result be closer than 52-48.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36306681 |title=Nigel Farage: Narrow Remain win may lead to second referendum |work=BBC News |date=17 May 2016 |accessdate=29 August 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160913012929/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36306681 |archivedate=13 September 2016  }}</ref> Farage accused U.S. President [[Biography:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] of a "monstrous interference" in the Brexit referendum debate, saying "You wouldn’t expect the British Prime Minister to intervene in your presidential election, you wouldn’t expect the Prime Minister to endorse one candidate or another."<ref>{{cite news |title='Monstrous interference': UK pols furious at Obama's plan to intervene in EU debate |url=https://www.foxnews.com/politics/monstrous-interference-uk-pols-furious-at-obamas-plan-to-intervene-in-eu-debate |publisher=Fox News |date=22 April 2016}}</ref>

===2016–2019===
On 28 June 2016 Farage made a speech in the European Parliament in which he stated that a hypothetical failure for the EU to forge a trade deal with an exiting UK would "be far worse for you than it would be for us", to heckling and laughing by Parliament members. He insulted his fellow MEPs, stating that "virtually none" of them had ever had done "a proper job" in their lives.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Jon |date=28 June 2016 |title=Nigel Farage Mocked and Heckled by MEPs During Extraordinary Speech |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-european-parliament-speech-heckled-brexit-eu-referendum-a7107131.html |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |access-date=28 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628114435/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-european-parliament-speech-heckled-brexit-eu-referendum-a7107131.html |archivedate=28 June 2016  }}</ref> Media around the world covered Farage's speech, including his comment: "... when I came here 17 years ago, and I said that I wanted to lead a campaign to get Britain to leave the European Union, you all laughed at me. Well I have to say, you're not laughing now are you?" and his prediction that Britain will not be the only country to leave the EU.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/brexit-eu-nigel-farage-1.3655934 |title='You're not laughing now': Nigel Farage booed at EU general assembly |agency=Associated Press |date=28 June 2016 |website=CBC News |access-date=28 June 2016 |quote=Independence Party leader and Brexit advocate predicts Britain will not be only country to leave EU |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160702141224/http://www.cbc.ca/news/world/brexit-eu-nigel-farage-1.3655934 |archivedate=2 July 2016  }}</ref>  In response, Guy Verhofstadt compared Farage's referendum posters with Nazi propaganda and credited the Brexit campaign with causing a multi-billion loss in the stock exchange.<ref name=mike>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/28/not-laughing-now-are-you-brussels-attacks-nigel-farage-over-brex/ |title=Not laughing now, are you? Brussels attacks Nigel Farage over Brexit... and he loves every minute |first=Michael |last=Deacon |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=28 June 2016 |accessdate=28 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628145735/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/06/28/not-laughing-now-are-you-brussels-attacks-nigel-farage-over-brex/ |archivedate=28 June 2016  }}</ref> Explicitly addressing Farage, Verhofstadt added, "... Ok. Let's be positive. Finally, we're going to get rid of the biggest waste in the budget of the (European) Union, that we have paid for 17 years, your salary."<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-nigel-farage-eu-referendum-belgian-prime-minister-ridicules-ukip-leader-lying-in-campaign-a7107361.html |title=Former Belgian Prime Minister ridicules Nigel Farage |date=28 June 2016 |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |accessdate=29 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160628134213/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-nigel-farage-eu-referendum-belgian-prime-minister-ridicules-ukip-leader-lying-in-campaign-a7107361.html |archivedate=28 June 2016  }}</ref>

Farage resigned as leader of the United Kingdom Independence Party on 4 July 2016,<ref name="resignation 2016" /> saying that: "It's right that I should now stand aside as leader. What I said during the referendum campaign is I want my country back. What I'm saying today is I want my life back. And it begins right now" and "I have never been, and I have never wanted to be, a career politician."<ref name="Hutton 2016">{{cite news |last=Hutton |first=Robert |title=Farage Resigns as UKIP Leader After 'Winning Country Back' |website=Bloomberg.com |date=4 July 2016 |url=https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-04/farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader-adding-to-brexit-political-turmoil |accessdate=4 July 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704100027/http://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2016-07-04/farage-resigns-as-ukip-leader-adding-to-brexit-political-turmoil |archivedate=4 July 2016  }}</ref> Jean-Claude Juncker, President of the European Commission, described Farage as a "retro-nationalist",<ref name="Rankin Guardian 2016">{{cite news |last=Rankin |first=Jennifer |title=Nigel Farage and Boris Johnson are unpatriotic quitters, says Juncker |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=5 July 2016 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/05/nigel-farage-and-boris-johnson-are-unpatriotic-quitters-says-juncker |accessdate=5 July 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705193349/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/jul/05/nigel-farage-and-boris-johnson-are-unpatriotic-quitters-says-juncker |archivedate=5 July 2016}}</ref> Caroline Lucas, Green Party MP for Brighton Pavilion, said that his legacy is "toxic and unforgivable" and that "He has used his position to whip up hatred against migrants and divert attention from the real challenges this country is facing."<ref name="The Independent Lucas 2016">{{cite news |title=Caroline Lucas nails Nigel Farage's legacy (and it's not flattering) |newspaper=The Independent |location=London |date=4 July 2016 |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-resignation-legacy-poster-speech-caroline-lucas-ukip-leader-resigns-a7118941.html |accessdate=4 July 2016 |last=Osborne |first=Samuel |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160704123900/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-resignation-legacy-poster-speech-caroline-lucas-ukip-leader-resigns-a7118941.html |archivedate=4 July 2016}}</ref> Paul Nuttall, a UKIP MEP, tweeted that Farage's "drive and belief shook establishment politics to its core and gave us a voice"<ref>{{cite tweet |user=paulnuttallukip |number=749945050709258240 |date=4 July 2016 |title=Without Nigel Farage we wouldn't be where we are today. His drive and belief shook establishment politics to its core and gave us a voice. |author=Paul Nuttall |author-link=Paul Nuttall}}</ref> and Suzanne Evans, former Deputy Chairman of UKIP, said that Farage's resignation surprised her, but "there is room still in Britain for UKIP".<ref>{{cite tweet |user=BBCWorldatOne |number=749948362334564353 |date=4 July 2016 |title=.@SuzanneEvans1 says she was "surprised" by Nigel Farage's resignation but "there is room still in Britain for UKIP" #wato |retweet=Suzanne Evans}}</ref> Writing in ''The Spectator'', after his resignation, the journalist [[Biography:Rod Liddle|Rod Liddle]] described Farage as: "The most important British politician of the last decade and the most successful. His resignation leaves a hole in our political system. With enormous intelligence and chutzpah and a refreshingly unorthodox approach, he built UKIP up from nothing to become established as our third largest party and succeeded in his overriding ambition – to see the UK vote to leave the European Union."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Liddle |first1=Rod |title=In praise of Nigel Farage |work=The Spectator |location=London |date=4 July 2016 |url=http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/07/praise-nigel-farage/ |accessdate=8 July 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160707085657/http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/07/praise-nigel-farage/ |archivedate=7 July 2016}}</ref>

Following a legal challenge by Gina Miller to the use of the Royal Prerogative to invoke article 50, Farage appeared on ''The Andrew Marr Show'' with Miller.  She stated that "politicians had lied all the way through" and that the Referendum act clearly said that the result was advisory. Farage accepted that it was advisory, but said afterwards “I just want to ask her – what part of the word 'leave' don't you understand?”.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-nigel-farage-forced-to-admit-the-eu-referendum-was-only-advisory-a7401151.html |title=Nigel Farage forced to admit that the EU referendum was only 'advisory' |first=Adam |last=Withnall |work=The Independent |location=London |date=6 November 2016 |accessdate=8 November 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161107142604/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/brexit-eu-nigel-farage-forced-to-admit-the-eu-referendum-was-only-advisory-a7401151.html |archivedate=7 November 2016}}</ref> Farage talked of a peaceful protest and warned of unprecedented political anger if Parliament blocked Brexit. Miller said that parliamentary democracy required parliament to debate issues and that Farage had spent the whole Brexit campaign arguing for parliamentary sovereignty. Calling his warnings "the politics of the gutter", Tim Farron said the British judges had merely interpreted British law and that fortunately Farage was the only person talking about taking to the streets.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37888849 |title=Nigel Farage warns of Brexit 'anger' protests |work=BBC News |date=6 November 2016 |accessdate=8 November 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161108043736/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-37888849 |archivedate=8 November 2016}}</ref> Miller has previously called Farage irresponsible and has blamed him and the tabloid media for death threats against her. She stated in November 2016 that she would not take legal action against those who had threatened her.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gina-miller-receives-rape-death-threats-online-after-high-court-ruling-article-50-1589840 |title=Brexit challenger Gina Miller blames lies by Nigel Farage and tabloid media for death threats |first=Vasudevan |last=Sridharan |work=IBTimes |date=4 November 2016 |accessdate=20 November 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161121042934/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/gina-miller-receives-rape-death-threats-online-after-high-court-ruling-article-50-1589840 |archivedate=21 November 2016}}</ref>

On 7 November 2016 Farage announced he would lead a 100,000 strong march to the Supreme Court, timed for when it started hearing the Government appeal.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-to-lead-100000strong-march-on-day-government-seeks-to-overturn-brexit-court-ruling-a3388876.html |title=Brexit: Nigel Farage to lead 100,000-strong march on day Government appeals High Court ruling |first=Hatty |last=Collins |work=London Evening Standard |date=7 November 2016 |accessdate=19 November 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161120090421/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-to-lead-100000strong-march-on-day-government-seeks-to-overturn-brexit-court-ruling-a3388876.html |archivedate=20 November 2016  }}</ref> On 27 November 2016, it was reported the march was being cancelled out of concerns it could be hijacked by the far-right groups English Defence League and the British National Party.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-brexit-march-cancelled-supreme-court-far-right-article-50-a7439246.html |title=Nigel Farage's Brexit march on Supreme Court cancelled amid claims it might be hijacked by far right groups |first=Joe |last=Watts |work=The Independent |location=London |date=25 November 2016 |accessdate=26 November 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161126152054/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-brexit-march-cancelled-supreme-court-far-right-article-50-a7439246.html |archivedate=26 November 2016  }}</ref> The next day, Paul Nuttall became the new UKIP party leader after Farage decided to step aside to strengthen his relationship with US President-elect Donald Trump.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/britains-pro-brexit-party-picks-new-leaders-to-replace-trump-ally-nigel-farage/2016/11/28/73bc0462-b562-11e6-a677-b608fbb3aaf6_story.html |title=Britain's pro-Brexit party picks new leader to replace Trump ally Nigel Farage |last=Murphy |first=Brian |date=28 November 2016 |work=The Washington Post |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161129124425/https://www.washingtonpost.com/world/britains-pro-brexit-party-picks-new-leaders-to-replace-trump-ally-nigel-farage/2016/11/28/73bc0462-b562-11e6-a677-b608fbb3aaf6_story.html |archivedate=29 November 2016  }}</ref>

Farage has argued strongly in favour of a British Independence Day being observed within the United Kingdom, on 23 June each year. On 24 June 2016, in a televised speech on the morning of the Brexit result, he stated; "let 23 June go down in our history as our Independence Day",<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.itv.com/news/update/2016-06-24/farage-let-june-23-be-the-uks-independence-day/ |title=UK votes to leave the EU in historic referendum |publisher=ITV |date=24 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161203020057/http://www.itv.com/news/update/2016-06-24/farage-let-june-23-be-the-uks-independence-day/ |archivedate=3 December 2016  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36613295 |title=EU Referendum: Farage declares 'independence day' |publisher=BBC News |date=24 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226175929/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-eu-referendum-36613295 |archivedate=26 December 2016  }}</ref> and later said that it "must now be made a national holiday."<ref>{{cite web |url=https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/746231271571939329 |title=June 23rd must now be made a national holiday. #IndependenceDay |publisher=Nigel Farage |date=23 June 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161130192747/https://twitter.com/Nigel_Farage/status/746231271571939329 |archivedate=30 November 2016  }}</ref>

[[File:Brexit the time has come for the UK to clarify its position (31824571007).jpg|thumb|European Parliament plenary session in January 2019]]
In 2017 Farage called for the departure of UKIP's only MP, Douglas Carswell. He said in ''The Daily Telegraph'': "I think there is little future for UKIP with him staying inside this party. The time for him to go is now."<ref name="independent.co.uk1">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-knighthood-young-girl-hates-foreigners-russia-today-sam-delayney-a7610866.html|title=Nigel Farage humiliated on TV by 6-year-old girl|date=4 March 2017|work=The Independent|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804215928/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-knighthood-young-girl-hates-foreigners-russia-today-sam-delayney-a7610866.html|archivedate=4 August 2017}}</ref> There was reportedly controversy within the party over whether Carswell had tried to prevent Farage receiving a knighthood. It was reported the MP had suggested Farage should instead be given an OBE "for services to headline writers".<ref name="independent.co.uk1"/>

On 20 April 2017 Farage announced that he would not contest the 2017 general election. He said that he believed he could further advance his version of Brexit as a leader of a group in the European Parliament.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39651781|title=General Election 2017: Nigel Farage won't stand as an MP|date=20 April 2017|work=BBC News|accessdate=19 June 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170609183112/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-39651781|archivedate=9 June 2017}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nigel-farage-general-election-ukip_uk_58f8f73ae4b00fa7de123351|title=Nigel Farage Announces He WON'T Stand To Be MP Despite Prospect Of 'Easy' Win|date=20 April 2017|work=The Huffington Post|accessdate=19 June 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170616103407/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/entry/nigel-farage-general-election-ukip_uk_58f8f73ae4b00fa7de123351|archivedate=16 June 2017}}</ref>

In May 2018 Farage addressed a fundraising event for the Democratic Unionist Party, with his main financial backer, Arron Banks, who accompanied Farage during the event, stating that he would support a bid by Farage to seek office as a DUP candidate after the end of his tenure as Member of the European Parliament in 2019.<ref>{{cite news |work=The Times |date=13 May 2018|title=Nigel Farage's Ukip backer Arron Banks bolsters his DUP bid |url=https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/nigel-farages-ukip-backer-arron-banks-bolsters-his-dup-bid-gvz8wqvnt}}</ref>

In August 2018 Farage pledged his "absolute and total support" to the pro-Brexit organisation Leave Means Leave, and subsequently announced that he would be returning to full-time campaigning for "the Brexit that people voted for".{{citation needed|date=September 2018}} Shortly after the announcement, he was made a Vice Chairman of the group.

===Brexit Party===
On 4 December 2018 Farage announced "with a heavy heart" on his live LBC radio show that effective immediately he had resigned his membership of UKIP, after 25 years as a member of the party. In explanation, Farage mentioned UKIP leader Gerard Batten's appointment the previous month of far-right activist Tommy Robinson as an adviser and the National Executive of UKIP's voting in a no-confidence vote to keep Batten as leader of the party. Farage argued that Batten was "obsessed with the issue of [[Religion:Islam|Islam]], not just Islamic extremism, but Islam, and UKIP wasn't founded to be a party fighting a religious crusade." He also said that association with Robinson damaged the image of Brexit.<ref>{{cite news |title=Former leader Nigel Farage quits UKIP |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-46448299 |accessdate=4 December 2018 |work=BBC News |date=4 December 2018}}</ref>

On 8 February 2019 ''{{wipe|Reuters}}'' noted that the Brexit Party has been approved by the Electoral Commission and quoted Farage from an article he wrote in ''The Telegraph'', stating that he would stand as a candidate for The Brexit Party in any potential future European Parliament elections contested in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://uk.reuters.com/article/uk-britain-eu-farage-idUKKCN1PX1Y5|title=Farage ready to be new 'Brexit Party' candidate if EU exit delayed|date=8 February 2019|work={{wipe|Reuters}}|author=Andy Bruce|access-date=8 February 2019|language=en|quote=A filing by the Electoral Commission showed the Brexit Party had been approved this week to field candidates across England, Scotland and Wales.}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/02/08/new-brexit-party-stands-ready-defend-democracy/?li_source=LI&li_medium=li-recommendation-widget|title=My new Brexit party stands ready to defend democracy|publisher=The Telegraph|author=Nigel Farage|date=8 February 2019}}</ref> On 8 February 2019, the ''[[Social:Financial Times|Financial Times]]'' quoted Farage as saying that the new party was a "live vehicle" that could be "mobilised" if Brexit is delayed.<ref name="ft">{{cite web|url=https://www.ft.com/content/d3197116-2bcf-11e9-a5ab-ff8ef2b976c7|title=New 'Brexit Party' backed by Nigel Farage launches|publisher=[[Social:Financial Times|Financial Times]]|date=8 February 2019|author=Jim Pickard|quote=A new political party backed by Nigel Farage has been launched in an attempt to attract hardline Conservative activists unhappy with Theresa May’s attempt to forge a compromise Brexit plan.}}</ref>

On 13 February Farage confirmed on his [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]] account that he would now sit in the European Parliament as a member of the Brexit Party.<ref name="Nigel Farage"/>

On 22 March Farage was officially announced as the new leader of the Brexit Party after founder and former Leader Catherine Blaiklock resigned.<ref name="bbc_47668067"/><ref>{{cite news |title=Leader of Nigel Farage's party resigns over anti-Islam messages|url=https://www.theguardian.com/world/2019/mar/20/leader-of-pro-brexit-party-catherine-blaiklock-resigns-over-anti-islam-messages |work=The Guardian |date=20 March 2019 |accessdate=24 March 2019}}</ref>

On 14 May Conservative MP Crispin Blunt called for the government to go into an "electoral arrangement" with the Brexit Party to ensure Brexit was to happen on time. Asked by Huw Edwards if he would consider such a partnership, Farage said he would be willing to work with anyone to secure a deal that gets Britain out of the [[Organization:European Single Market|single market]], customs union and European Court of Justice, but said that trust may be an issue, stating: "both main parties have let us down very badly".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/av/uk-politics-48275277/nigel-farage-i-d-do-a-deal-with-the-devil-for-brexit|title=Farage would 'do deal with devil' for Brexit|work=BBC News|access-date=2019-05-23|language=en-GB}}</ref>

Farage was assaulted by a Brexit opponent, whilst on a walk-about in the streets of Newcastle upon Tyne, on 20 May 2019.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Magra |first1=Iliana |title=Why Are Milkshakes Being Thrown at Right-Wing Politicians Like Nigel Farage? |url=https://www.nytimes.com/2019/05/21/world/europe/milkshake-nigel-farage.html |work=The New York Times |accessdate=22 May 2019 |date=21 May 2019}}</ref> His assailant, who was arrested for throwing a milkshake at Farage, later accused the Brexit Party leader of spouting bile and racism. Farage tweeted about the incident saying: "For a civilised democracy to work you need the losers' consent, politicians not accepting the referendum result have led us to this."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-48339711|title=Milkshake thrown at Nigel Farage|date=20 May 2019|work=BBC News|accessdate=20 May 2019}}</ref> A month later, 32-year-old Paul Crowther pleaded guilty to common assault and criminal damage and was ordered to pay Farage £350 in compensation.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-england-tyne-48675804|title=Man to pay Farage over milkshake assault|date=18 June 2019|access-date=2019-06-20|language=en-GB}}</ref>

In early June, Donald Trump suggested that Farage should be involved in the UK government's Brexit negotiations, because he has "a lot to offer".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48487973|title=Trump: Prepare for no deal and send in Farage|date=2 June 2019|access-date=2019-06-02|language=en-GB}}</ref>

====Arron Banks funding====
In May 2019 British broadcaster Channel 4 News reported it had seen invoices for travel and accommodation expenses between summer 2016 and summer 2017. It further reported that these benefits, worth "as much as £450,000", were funded by Arron Banks, and were not declared on Farage's register of interests, which he should have done as a serving MEP. Liberal Democrat MEP Catherine Bearder, in her role as a quaestor (an MEP responsible for financial and administrative matters), raised the issue and this resulted in an official investigation opening on 21 May 2019. When asked by the BBC about the matter Farage replied, "Whatever happened after the referendum – I was leaving politics, it happened mostly in America, it had nothing to do with politics, nothing to do with the Brexit Party, it was purely on a personal basis. I was looking for a new career and a new life – it's got nothing to do with anything, it's a purely private matter."<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-brexit-party-investigation-aaron-banks-eu-gifts-donations-funding-a8923961.html|title=Brexit Party: EU opens investigation into Nigel Farage's lavish gifts from millionaire tycoon|last=Stone|first=Jon|accessdate=21 May 2019|date=21 May 2019|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-arron-banks-eu-authorities-investigation-gifts-tycoon-a8918946.html|title=Nigel Farage facing investigation by EU authorities over lavish gifts from millionaire tycoon|last=Stone|first=Jon|date=18 May 2019|newspaper=The Independent}}</ref>

==== 2019 general election ====
Following Boris Johnson's election as Prime Minister, Farage unveiled the names of 635 general election candidates for the Brexit Party, including himself.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.thejournal.ie/nigel-farage-brexit-party-general-election-4783792-Aug2019/|title='No deal is the best deal': Nigel Farage unveils 635 Brexit Party election candidates|last=Aodha|first=Gráinne Ní|website=TheJournal.ie|language=en|access-date=2019-08-28}}</ref>

On 8 September 2019, Farage said that the Brexit Party should be given "a free run" at targeting traditional Labour voters in the North of England, Midlands and Wales by the Conservative Party as part of an electoral pact. According to ''The Sunday Telegraph'', he did not want the Brexit Party to face Conservative opposition in constituencies such as Wansbeck and West Bromwich East and in return the Brexit Party would not contest seats where the leave vote was at risk of splitting.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/sep/08/brexit-party-farage-seeks-election-pact-with-conservatives|title=Brexit party: Farage seeks election pact with Conservatives|last=|first=|date=8 September 2019|website=The Guardian|url-status=live|archive-url=|archive-date=|access-date=}}</ref> Farage said that his party and the Conservatives "together would be unstoppable".<ref name=":3">{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-49665789|title=No 10 rejects Nigel Farage election pact proposal|date=11 September 2019|access-date=2019-09-12|language=en-GB}}</ref>

On 11 September, a senior Conservative source said that Farage was "not a fit and proper person" and "should never be allowed anywhere near government". The government confirmed that Boris Johnson would not form an electoral pact with Farage, to which he said he was "disappointed" as he was offering a "genuine hand of friendship".<ref name=":3" />

The Brexit Party gained 642,303 votes in the election but no seats. It was believed widely that they had helped the Conservative Party towards their majority of 80 by standing down in 317 Conservative-held seats.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2019/dec/13/brexit-party-nigel-farage-boris-johnson-labour-leavers|title=The Brexit party folded, but make no mistake: Farage won it for Johnson|last=Loucaides|first=Darren|work=The Guardian|date=13 December 2019|accessdate=13 December 2019}}</ref>

==Involvement in American politics==
===2016 presidential election===
[[File:Nigel Farage by Gage Skidmore.jpg|right|thumb|Farage speaking at the 2015 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC) in Washington, D.C. about the American elections]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Nigel Farage after Trump Victory.jpg|thumb|right|Farage meets with then President-Elect Donald Trump in Trump Tower on 12 November 2016, four days after Election day.]] -->

In a May 2016 interview with Robert Peston, Farage said that, whilst he had reservations on the views and character of 2016 Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump, if he were an eligible US voter he would vote for Trump in 2016 presidential election, to prevent Hillary Clinton becoming president.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Withnall|first1=Adam|title=Nigel Farage would vote for Trump over Clinton 'if put up against a wall'|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-would-vote-for-donald-trump-over-hillary-clinton-if-put-up-against-a-wall-a7030201.html|accessdate=31 May 2016|work=The Independent|date=15 May 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160518025732/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-would-vote-for-donald-trump-over-hillary-clinton-if-put-up-against-a-wall-a7030201.html|archivedate=18 May 2016}}</ref> In July 2016, Farage visited the Republican convention in Cleveland with his aide and office manager George Cottrell.<ref name="AideArrested">{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/13/nigel-farages-aide-arrested-as-fbi-probe-links-to-money-launderi/ |title=Nigel Farage's aide arrested as FBI probe links to money laundering and 'drug traffickers'|work=The Daily Telegraph |author=Luke Heighton |date=13 August 2016 |accessdate=15 August 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160814233625/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/13/nigel-farages-aide-arrested-as-fbi-probe-links-to-money-launderi/|archivedate=14 August 2016}}</ref> Both Farage and Cottrell appeared on American television and engaged in discussions with Trump's aides<ref name="AideArrested"/> before Cottrell was arrested by the FBI on 21 federal counts of [[Finance:Fraud|fraud]], [[Finance:Money laundering|money laundering]] and [[Social:Extortion|extortion]].<ref name="Millward">David Millward, [https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/20/nigel-farage-aide-george-cottrell-denies-21-counts-of-fraud-mone/ Nigel Farage aide, George Cottrell, denies 21 counts of fraud, money laundering and extortion] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202171157/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/08/20/nigel-farage-aide-george-cottrell-denies-21-counts-of-fraud-mone/ |date=2 December 2016}}, ''The Daily Telegraph'' (20 August 2016).</ref> Farage "was unaware of Cottrell's alleged illegal activities and his arrest by the FBI came as a shock."<ref name="Millward"/> Cottrell's arrest left Farage unable to access his personal diary.<ref name="AideArrested"/> Cottrell ultimately pleaded guilty to one count of wire fraud as part of a plea agreement with U.S. federal prosecutors and was sentenced to eight months in U.S. federal prison and was fined $30,000; the crime had been committed before Cottrell joined UKIP.<ref>Stephanie Kirchgaessner,
 [https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/07/former-nigel-farage-aide-us-information-plea-deal-court-files-george-cottrell Former Farage aide gave US information in plea deal, court files show] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107015629/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/07/former-nigel-farage-aide-us-information-plea-deal-court-files-george-cottrell |date=7 November 2017}}, ''The Guardian'' (7 June 2017).</ref><ref>Rachael Revesz, [https://www.independent.co.uk/news/nigel-farage-ukip-george-cottrell-wire-fraud-sentenced-guilty-dark-web-money-laundering-a7606686.html Nigel Farage's top aide sentenced for wire fraud] {{webarchive |url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171107022058/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/nigel-farage-ukip-george-cottrell-wire-fraud-sentenced-guilty-dark-web-money-laundering-a7606686.html |date=7 November 2017}}, ''Independent'' (1 March 2017).</ref>

In August 2016 Farage and fellow Brexiteers Andy Wigmore and Arron Banks met Trump for the first time at a high-dollar campaign fundraiser in Jackson, Mississippi.<ref name=BadBoysOfBrextRussiaTrumpWapo20180628 />  They were invited to the event by staffers for Mississippi governor Phil Bryant while attending the GOP convention.<ref name=BadBoysOfBrextRussiaTrumpWapo20180628 />  Afterwards, Trump invited them to his campaign rally that night.<ref name=BadBoysOfBrextRussiaTrumpWapo20180628 />  Trump asked Farage to speak at the rally and introduced him to the crowd as "Mr. Brexit".<ref name=BadBoysOfBrextRussiaTrumpWapo20180628>{{cite web|title=How the 'Bad Boys of Brexit' forged ties with Russia and the Trump campaign — and came under investigators' scrutiny|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/how-the-bad-boys-of-brexit-forged-ties-with-russia-and-the-trump-campaign--and-came-under-investigators-scrutiny/2018/06/28/6e3a5e9c-7656-11e8-b4b7-308400242c2e_story.html|website={{wipe|The Washington Post}}|date=28 June 2018|access-date=3 July 2018|last1=Roig-Franzia|first1=Manuel|last2=Helderman|first2=Rosalind S.|last3=Booth|first3=WIlliam|last4=Hamburger|first4=Tom|last5=Timberg|first5=Craig|last6=Crites|first6=Alice|last7=Dawsey|first7=Josh|last8=Tate|first8=Julie|last9=Adam|first9=Karla}}</ref><ref>{{cite web|title=Arron Banks 'met Russian officials multiple times before Brexit vote'|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jun/09/arron-banks-russia-brexit-meeting|website={{wipe|The Guardian}}|date=9 June 2018|access-date=13 June 2018|last1=Cadwalladr|first1=Carole|last2=Jukes|first2=Peter|author-link2=Peter Jukes}}</ref>

In October 2016 Farage praised Trump for "dominating" Hillary Clinton, comparing him to a silverback gorilla.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-defends-silverback-donald-trump-for-dominating-hillary-clinton-a3364766.html|title=Nigel Farage praises 'silverback gorilla' Donald Trump for 'dominating' Hillary Clinton|author=Robin de Peyer|work=Evening Standard|date=10 October 2016|accessdate=16 October 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016102939/http://www.standard.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage-defends-silverback-donald-trump-for-dominating-hillary-clinton-a3364766.html|archivedate=16 October 2016}}</ref> Following revelations of a 2005 audio recording in which Trump made lewd remarks about women, Farage said that Trump's comments were "ugly" but described them as "alpha male boasting" also stating that Trump was "not running to be [[Religion:Pope|Pope]]" and that women also make remarks they would not want to see reported.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage defends Donald Trump over 'alpha-male boasting' |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/09/nigel-farage-defends-donald-trump-over-alpha-male-boasting |accessdate=17 October 2016 |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=9 October 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016153756/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/09/nigel-farage-defends-donald-trump-over-alpha-male-boasting |archivedate=16 October 2016  }}</ref> Farage's comments prompted several senior UKIP members to express concern  privately, and resulted in public criticism of Farage from two UKIP MEPs, Jane Collins and William Dartmouth.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/12/nigel-farage-donald-trump-ukip-meps |title=Nigel Farage criticised for defending Donald Trump by Ukip MEPs |author=Peter Walker |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=12 October 2016 |accessdate=16 October 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161015163027/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/12/nigel-farage-donald-trump-ukip-meps |archivedate=15 October 2016  }}</ref> As more publicity appeared about Trump's alleged groping and as the criticisms increased, Farage said he disagreed with Trump's comments about groping women and his comments on Muslim immigration.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/15/nigel-farage-backtracks-on-donald-trump-support-amid-groping-claims|title=Nigel Farage backtracks on Donald Trump support amid groping claims|author=Jane Martinson, Rowena Mason and Molly Redden|work=The Guardian|date=15 October 2016|accessdate=16 October 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161016003719/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/oct/15/nigel-farage-backtracks-on-donald-trump-support-amid-groping-claims|archivedate=16 October 2016}}</ref>

Farage is reported to have had close links with Trump's then chief strategist, [[Biography:Steve Bannon|Steve Bannon]], since at least 2014, when Bannon scheduled meetings for Farage with right-wing figures in Washington. In his book, ''The Purple Revolution: The Year That Changed Everything'', Farage described Bannon as "my sort of chap."<ref>{{cite book|url=https://books.google.com/books?id=2sVPBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT96&lpg=PT96|title=The Purple Revolution: The Year That Changed Everything|first=Nigel|last=Farage|date=17 March 2015|publisher=Biteback Publishing|via=Google Books|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180121194105/https://books.google.com/books?id=2sVPBwAAQBAJ&pg=PT96&lpg=PT96|archivedate=21 January 2018|isbn=9781849548960}}</ref>

After Trump's victory, Farage said that he "couldn't be happier"<ref name="independent.co.uk">{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-barack-obama-loathsome-creature-donald-trump-us-election-ukip-a7409236.html|title=Nigel Farage calls 'creature' Barack Obama a 'loathsome individual'|date=10 November 2016|work=The Independent|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170804221508/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-barack-obama-loathsome-creature-donald-trump-us-election-ukip-a7409236.html|archivedate=4 August 2017}}</ref> and in the same interview referred to outgoing president [[Biography:Barack Obama|Barack Obama]] as a "loathsome individual" and "that Obama creature", remarks which prompted criticism.<ref name="independent.co.uk"/><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/10/nigel-farage-describes-barack-obama-as-a-loathsome-creature/|title=Nigel Farage causes controversy describing Barack Obama as a 'loathsome creature' – and warns Donald Trump not to 'touch' Theresa May|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|date=10 November 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218055211/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/10/nigel-farage-describes-barack-obama-as-a-loathsome-creature/|archivedate=18 February 2017}}</ref> Labour MP John Woodcock criticised Farage's comments, saying they had "clear racist undertones."<ref>{{cite news |author=Laura Hughes |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/10/nigel-farage-describes-barack-obama-as-a-loathsome-creature/ |title=Nigel Farage causes controversy describing Barack Obama as a 'loathsome creature' – and warns Donald Trump not to 'touch' Theresa May |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=10 November 2016 |accessdate=2 March 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170218055211/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/11/10/nigel-farage-describes-barack-obama-as-a-loathsome-creature/ |archivedate=18 February 2017  }}</ref> Farage was the first British politician to speak to Trump after his election, meeting with Trump in his eponymous Manhattan tower.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage discusses 'freedom and winning' in meeting with Trump|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/12/nigel-farage-arrives-in-new-york-to-meet-president-elect|accessdate=14 November 2016|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=13 November 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161114040629/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2016/nov/12/nigel-farage-arrives-in-new-york-to-meet-president-elect|archivedate=14 November 2016}}</ref>

Farage was listed as a person of interest by the FBI in their investigation into possible Russian interference in the 2016 Presidential election.<ref name=":2">{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/01/nigel-farage-is-person-of-interest-in-fbi-investigation-into-trump-and-russia|title=Nigel Farage is 'person of interest' in FBI investigation into Trump and Russia|last=Kirchgaessner|first=Stephanie|date=1 June 2017|work=The Guardian|access-date=1 June 2017|last2=Hopkins|first2=Nick|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077|last3=Harding|first3=Luke|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170602002544/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jun/01/nigel-farage-is-person-of-interest-in-fbi-investigation-into-trump-and-russia|archivedate=2 June 2017}}</ref>  Farage responded, “This hysterical attempt to associate me with the Putin regime is a result of the liberal elite being unable to accept Brexit and the election of President Trump. . . .  I consider it extremely doubtful that I could be a person of interest to the FBI as I have no connections to Russia.”<ref>"[https://news.sky.com/story/nigel-farage-plays-down-report-of-link-to-fbi-russia-investigation-10900862 Nigel Farage dismisses report of link to FBI Russia investigation] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170805015123/https://news.sky.com/story/nigel-farage-plays-down-report-of-link-to-fbi-russia-investigation-10900862 |date=5 August 2017 }}". Sky News. 1 June 2017.</ref>

===British Ambassador to the United States proposal===
In November 2016, after becoming president-elect, Trump publicly suggested, via [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]] post, that the UK government name Farage as British ambassador to the United States. Trump's expression of a preference for a foreign nation's ambassador was "a startling break with diplomatic protocol" that was unprecedented in recent US history.<ref name="DewanHalasz">Angela Dewan & Stephanie Halasz, [http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/22/world/donald-trump-nigel-farage-us-ambassador/ Nigel Farage for US ambassador? Trump tweet has UK squirming] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20161202004540/http://www.cnn.com/2016/11/22/world/donald-trump-nigel-farage-us-ambassador/ |date=2 December 2016 }},  CNN (22 November 2016).</ref> The British government rejected the suggestion, with a Downing Street spokesman and then-Foreign Secretary Boris Johnson stressing that there was no vacancy in the position.<ref name="DewanHalasz"/><ref>Stephen Castle, [https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/world/europe/uk-donald-trump-nigel-farage.html U.K. Rejects Donald Trump’s Call for Nigel Farage to Be Made Ambassador] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170308194958/https://www.nytimes.com/2016/11/22/world/europe/uk-donald-trump-nigel-farage.html |date=8 March 2017 }}, ''New York Times'' (22 November 2016).</ref>

===Trump presidency===
On 20 January 2017, the day of Trump's presidential inauguration, US news channel Fox News announced it had hired Farage as a commentator. He has since provided political analysis for both the main Fox News channel and its sister channel Fox Business Network.<ref name="Fox News">{{cite news |url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38695203 |title=Nigel Farage hired by Fox News as a political analyst |publisher=BBC |date=20 January 2017 |accessdate=21 January 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170120222924/http://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-38695203 |archivedate=20 January 2017}}</ref> Farage also began hosting a talk show on the British radio station LBC for four nights a week.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/05/nigel-farage-to-host-lbc-radio-talkshow|title=Nigel Farage to host LBC radio talkshow|newspaper=The Guardian|date=5 January 2017|accessdate=8 February 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170209104657/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2017/jan/05/nigel-farage-to-host-lbc-radio-talkshow|archivedate=9 February 2017}}</ref>

[[File:Nigel Farage with attendee (46400882322).jpg|thumb|Farage in West Palm Beach, Florida in December 2018]]
Since April 2018 Farage has been a strong advocate for U.S. President Donald Trump to receive the Nobel Peace Prize on the basis of his attempt to bring better diplomatic relations between North Korea and {{wipe|South Korea}} as well as better diplomatic relations between North Korea and the United States. As a member of the European Parliament, Farage expressed his desire to begin an official petition for Trump to receive the award.<ref>{{cite news | last = Buncombe  | first = Andrew | title = Nigel Farage to start petition to secure Donald Trump the Nobel Peace Prize | newspaper = The Independent | date = 11 May 2018 | url = https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/donald-trump-nobel-peace-prize-nigel-farage-norway-north-korea-iran-nuclear-deal-a8347246.html | access-date = 3 July 2018}}</ref>

Farage endorsed Roy Moore in the United States Senate special election in Alabama.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/24/us/politics/nigel-farage-roy-moore.html|title=Nigel Farage to Campaign for Roy Moore in Alabama Senate Race|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171231212123/https://www.nytimes.com/2017/09/24/us/politics/nigel-farage-roy-moore.html|archivedate=31 December 2017}}</ref> After numerous allegations of sexual misconduct were made against Moore,<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html|title=Woman says Roy Moore initiated sexual encounter when she was 14, he was 32|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171109180712/https://www.washingtonpost.com/investigations/woman-says-roy-moore-initiated-sexual-encounter-when-she-was-14-he-was-32/2017/11/09/1f495878-c293-11e7-afe9-4f60b5a6c4a0_story.html|archivedate=9 November 2017}}</ref> Farage publicly expressed his scepticism over the allegations.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/nigel-farage-roy-moore-sexual-assault-allegations-underage-doubts-timing-why-now-a8053321.html|title=Nigel Farage questions Roy Moore's sexual assault allegations|work=The Independent|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20180101025842/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/us-politics/nigel-farage-roy-moore-sexual-assault-allegations-underage-doubts-timing-why-now-a8053321.html|archivedate=1 January 2018}}</ref> In May 2018, he expressed regret for having backed Moore, stating, "I should have thought about the whole thing far more deeply than I did, and it was a mistake."<ref>{{cite news|work=Newsweek|url=http://www.newsweek.com/2018/05/18/nigel-farage-brexit-anti-eu-putin-916172.html|title=Nigel Farage on Being Called an 'Anti-Semite,' Putin 'Being a Questionable Human Being,' and His Anti-EU Allies|date=10 May 2018}}</ref>

In July 2018 Farage headlined a fundraiser for Lou Barletta, the Republican nominee in the 2018 United States Senate election in Pennsylvania.<ref>{{cite web|title=Nigel Farage flies under radar to support Trump-backed Senate candidate|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2018/jul/21/nigel-farage-brexit-lou-barletta-pennsylvania-republican-senate|website={{wipe|The Guardian}}|date=21 July 2018|last=Gabbatt|first=Adam}}</ref>

On 30 May Trump congratulated Farage on his party winning 32 percent of UK votes in the EU election, and said he may meet him, as well as Boris Johnson, during his state visit to the UK from 3 to 5 June.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/uk-politics-48462677|title=Trump: Johnson and Farage are good guys|date=30 May 2019|access-date=2019-05-30|language=en-GB}}</ref>

After gaining no seats in the 2019 general election under the Brexit Party banner, Farage said he would leave the country to work as a warm-up speaker for Trump's 2020 campaign rallies.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/12/12/nigel-farage-brexit-party-results-live/|title=Nigel Farage reveals he will campaign for Donald Trump next year as Brexit Party wins no seats|last=Diver|first=Tony|last2=White|first2=Josh|work=The Telegraph|date=13 December 2019|accessdate=13 December 2019}}</ref>

===="Jewish lobby" remark====
In October 2017 Farage made controversial remarks during a discussion on LBC radio station after a caller who referred to himself as "Ahmed" told Farage he thought the pro-Israeli lobby in the United States was equally dangerous to the Russian interference in American politics. Farage responded by saying: "the [[Place:Israel|Israel]]i lobby, you know, that’s a reasonable point, Ahmed, because there are about 6 million Jewish people living in America, so as a percentage it’s quite small, but in terms of influence it’s quite big...in terms of money and influence, yep, they are a very powerful lobby," and "there are other very powerful foreign lobbies in the United States of America, and the Jewish lobby, with its links with the Israeli government, is one of those strong voices."<ref>{{cite news |title=UK's Farage says US Jews have disproportionate influence over politics |url=https://www.timesofisrael.com/farage-says-us-jews-have-disproportionate-influence-over-politics/ |work=The Times of Israel |date=1 November 2017}}</ref><ref name="Goodkind">Nicole Goodkind, [http://www.newsweek.com/trump-russia-jewish-farage-brexit-698486 Jews Should Concern Americans More Than Russian Influence, Nigel Farage Says] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171102083802/http://www.newsweek.com/trump-russia-jewish-farage-brexit-698486 |date=2 November 2017 }}, ''Newsweek'' (1 November 2017).</ref><ref name="JN">[http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/nigel-farage-urged-to-apologise-for-jewish-lobby-remark/ Nigel Farage urged to apologise for ‘Jewish lobby’ remark] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20171101112524/http://jewishnews.timesofisrael.com/nigel-farage-urged-to-apologise-for-jewish-lobby-remark/ |date=1 November 2017 }}, ''Jewish News'' (31 October 2017).</ref> Farage's remarks were condemned by the Campaign Against Antisemitism<ref name="JN"/> and the Anti-Defamation League, which said that Farage's comment "plays into deep-seated anti-Semitic tropes" and was fuel for extremist conspiracy theories.<ref name="Goodkind"/>

==Involvement in European politics==
[[File:Nicolas Dupont Aignan et Nigel Farage.jpg|thumb|Farage with Nicolas Dupont-Aignan in 2013]]
During the 2016 Austrian presidential election campaign, Farage said that Norbert Hofer, the Freedom Party candidate, would call for a "Brexit style referendum" if he won. Hofer, however, ruled out a referendum and asked Farage not to interfere in Austria's internal politics.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/dont-interfere-austrias-far-right-presidential-candidate-tells/|title='Don't interfere,' Austria's far-right presidential candidate tells Nigel Farage|author=Roland Oliphant|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=4 December 2016|accessdate=4 December 2016|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161204213951/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/12/04/dont-interfere-austrias-far-right-presidential-candidate-tells/|archivedate=4 December 2016}}
</ref>

Farage initially endorsed Nicolas Dupont-Aignan of Debout la France, another party of the Alliance for Direct Democracy in Europe, and later supported Marine Le Pen of the National Front, for the second round of the 2017 French presidential election. Farage said that the basis for his endorsement of Le Pen was his belief that she would be more sympathetic to the UK following Brexit, in contrast to the pro-European Emmanuel Macron.<ref>{{cite news |last=Stone |first=Jon |date=4 May 2017 |title=Nigel Farage endorses far-right Marine Le Pen to be French president |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-backs-marine-le-pen-far-right-national-front-french-presidential-election-2017-a7716876.html |work=The Independent |location=[[Place:London|London]] |access-date=12 October 2017 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20171012201522/http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-backs-marine-le-pen-far-right-national-front-french-presidential-election-2017-a7716876.html |archivedate=12 October 2017  }}</ref>

==Political views==

===Economy===
From taking office as a UKIP MEP in 1999, Farage has often voiced opposition to the "[[Finance:Euro|euro]] project". His argument is that "a one-size-fits-all interest rate" cannot work for countries with structurally different economies, often using the example of Greece and Germany to emphasise contrast.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22183867 |title=MEPs angry at EU's Olli Rehn over treatment of Cyprus |date=17 April 2013 |work=BBC News |accessdate=12 October 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116065904/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-europe-22183867 |archivedate=16 November 2006  }}</ref>

Farage strongly opposes the use of [[Finance:Bailout|bailout]]s and says that "buying your own debt with taxpayers' money" will not solve the problem and that, "if we do, the next debt crisis won't be a country&nbsp;... it will be the European Central Bank itself".<ref name=youtube>{{cite web|url=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVJ-MdikNr0|title=Nigel Farage – Europe Trapped Inside an Economic Prison (A collage of speeches by UKIP Leader Nigel Farage) MEP in the European Parliament|date=22 April 2011|accessdate=22 November 2011|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130910004237/http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VVJ-MdikNr0|archivedate=10 September 2013}}</ref><ref name=europarl>{{cite web|url=http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europarl-internet/frd/vod/research-result-list?idmep=4525&language=en&pageby=unit&page=0&menusearchfrom=bymep&nameMep=FARAGE,%20Nigel |title=Europarl speech archives, with full list of all of Mr Farage's speeches in plenary that are referred to in original source video |publisher=European Parliament |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20100315234304/http://www.europarl.europa.eu/wps-europarl-internet/frd/vod/research-result-list?idmep=4525&language=en&pageby=unit&page=0&menusearchfrom=bymep&nameMep=FARAGE%2C%20Nigel |archivedate=15 March 2010 |url-status=dead  }}</ref>

On the issue of welfare, Farage wants migrants to live in the UK for five years before being able to claim benefits, and for them to be ineligible for tax credits.<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage calls for five-year ban on migrant benefits|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25630036|accessdate=19 October 2015|publisher=BBC News|date=7 January 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106101655/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-25630036|archivedate=6 January 2016}}</ref> He believes that tax avoidance is caused by "punitive tax rates", and wants "fairer" taxes as a way to prevent it.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Walton|first1=Gregory|title=Nigel Farage speaks out about gay marriage and tax avoidance on Newsnight|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11410079/Nigel-Farage-speaks-out-about-gay-marriage-and-tax-avoidance-on-Newsnight.html|accessdate=19 October 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=12 February 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150825155448/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11410079/Nigel-Farage-speaks-out-about-gay-marriage-and-tax-avoidance-on-Newsnight.html|archivedate=25 August 2015}}</ref>

===Electoral reform===
During the campaigning before the UK voting system referendum of May 2011, which offered the two options of a continuation of first-past-the-post and an alternative vote system, Farage declared himself in favour of the latter, saying that a continuation of first-past-the-post would be a "nightmare" for UKIP, although he also said that AV would make little difference to UKIP's fortunes. The party's stance was decided by its central policy-making committee,<ref name=WherePartiesStand>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11609887 |title=AV referendum: Where parties stand |work=BBC News |date=13 January 2011 |accessdate=11 February 2011 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20110116033105/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-11609887 |archivedate=16 January 2011  }}</ref> although Farage expressed a preference for the AV+ system as it "would retain the constituency link and then also the second ballot ensured there were no wasted votes".<ref name=BlackburnMay2011>{{cite news|last1=Blackburn|first1=David|title=Farage: AV is the thin of the wedge, that's why we support it|url=http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2011/05/farage-av-is-the-thin-of-the-wedge-thats-why-we-support-it/|accessdate=20 April 2016|work=Coffee House|publisher=The Spectator|date=4 May 2011|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226175731/http://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2011/05/farage-av-is-the-thin-of-the-wedge-thats-why-we-support-it/|archivedate=26 December 2016}}</ref> After the 2015 general election, in which UKIP took a much lower proportion of seats than votes, Farage called the first-past-the-post voting system (FPTP) "totally bankrupt".<ref>{{cite news|last1=Hasan|first1=Medhi|title=Why does it take Nigel Farage to make the case for electoral reform?|url=https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/02/nigel-farage-electoral-reform-left-first-past-the-post-proportional-representation|accessdate=19 October 2015|work=The Guardian|date=2 June 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023211620/http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/jun/02/nigel-farage-electoral-reform-left-first-past-the-post-proportional-representation|archivedate=23 October 2015}}</ref> He had said in 2011: "I completely lost faith in [FPTP] in 2005 when Blair was returned with a 60 seat majority on 36 per cent of the vote, or 22 per cent if you factor in low turnout."<ref name=BlackburnMay2011 />

===Environment===
In 2013 Farage criticised David Cameron's policy on wind turbines, describing it as covering "Britain in ugly disgusting ghastly windmills". An official energy policy document produced by UKIP while Farage was leader of the party stated that "UKIP strongly supports a clean environment and clean air, stressing that "coal-fired power stations must use clean technology to remove sulphur and nitrogen oxides, particulates and other pollutants".<ref>{{cite news|author=Ward, Bob |work=The Guardian |location=London |date=4 March 2013 |accessdate=24 May 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/mar/04/ukip-energy-climate-policies |title=Ukip's energy and climate policies under the spotlight |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140430042350/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/blog/2013/mar/04/ukip-energy-climate-policies |archivedate=30 April 2014 |url-status=live  }}</ref> In a speech made to the European parliament on 11 September 2013, Farage cited news, reported in several Rupert Murdoch-owned papers and the ''Daily Mail'', that the Arctic Sea ice cap had apparently grown from 2012 to 2013, saying that this was evidence of decades "of Euro-federalism combined with an increasing Green obsession".<ref>{{cite news|author=Mathiesen, Karl |date=18 September 2013 |work=The Guardian |location=London |accessdate=24 May 2014 |url=https://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/18/how-fast-is-arctic-sea-ice-melting |title=How fast is Arctic sea ice melting? |archivedate=25 May 2014 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525202416/http://www.theguardian.com/environment/2013/sep/18/how-fast-is-arctic-sea-ice-melting  }}</ref> Farage has described climate change as a "scam".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/07/nigel-farage-denies-being-conspiracy-theorist-after-far-right-talkshow-appearances|title=Nigel Farage denies being conspiracy theorist after far-right talkshow appearances|last=Mason|first=Rowena|date=7 May 2019|work=The Guardian|access-date=14 May 2019|language=en-GB|issn=0261-3077}}</ref>

===Healthcare===
Farage takes an anti-prohibitionist position on recreational drugs. In an April 2014 phone-in interview hosted by ''The Daily Telegraph'' he argued that the War on Drugs had been lost "many, many years ago", stating that "I hate drugs, I've never taken them myself, I hope I never do, but I just have a feeling that the criminalisation of all these drugs is actually not really helping British society." He argued in favour of a Royal Commission on drugs, which would explore all avenues as to how to legislate most effectively and deal with their related criminal and public health problems, including the possibility of their [[Social:Drug liberalization|legalisation]].<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage: I've Never Done Drugs, But Legalise Them |url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/04/nigel-farage-ukip-drugs-legalisation_n_5091437.html |accessdate=25 May 2014 |newspaper=Huffington Post UK |date=4 April 2014 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140525195442/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2014/04/04/nigel-farage-ukip-drugs-legalisation_n_5091437.html |archivedate=25 May 2014  }}</ref>

In 2013 Farage said that the smoking ban in enclosed public spaces was "silly and illiberal"; he recommended separate smoking areas along the lines of some German states. He said that banning things makes them more attractive to children, and stated that "Obesity is killing more people than smoking, you could ban chip shops, you could ban doughnuts. The point is we are big enough and ugly enough to make our own decisions".<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage Says Smoking Ban 'Silly And Illiberal'|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/30/nigel-farage-smoking-ban-germany-_n_3182909.html|accessdate=19 October 2015|work=Huffington Post|date=30 April 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151216061740/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/04/30/nigel-farage-smoking-ban-germany-_n_3182909.html|archivedate=16 December 2015}}</ref>

In his 2015 book Farage reflected that, based on his experiences, "the NHS is so over-stretched that if you can afford private health care, you should take it, particularly for diagnostics and preventative medicine. In the NHS, the system is so battered and poorly run that unless you are really lucky, you will fall through the cracks. The NHS is, however, astonishingly good at critical care. But what testicular cancer taught me is that the NHS will probably let you down if you need screening, fast diagnosis and an operation at a time that suits you". He supports reform within the NHS, saying that its resources have become stretched due to increased immigration, and blaming Labour for high costs of new hospitals built through private finance initiatives.<ref name=purplerev/>

Farage said in 2015 that money which the NHS could spend on treating taxpayers with serious conditions is instead spent on recent immigrants with [[Biology:HIV|HIV]]. A YouGov poll found 50 per cent of those taking part to support Farage, with 37 per cent saying that he is scaremongering.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Gander|first1=Kashmira|title=Nigel Farage on the NHS: Half of voters agrees that HIV patients cost UK too much money|url=https://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nigel-farage-on-the-nhs-half-of-voters-agrees-that-hiv-patients-cost-uk-too-much-money-10158767.html|accessdate=10 April 2015|work=The Independent|date=6 April 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150409203039/http://www.independent.co.uk/life-style/health-and-families/health-news/nigel-farage-on-the-nhs-half-of-voters-agrees-that-hiv-patients-cost-uk-too-much-money-10158767.html|archivedate=9 April 2015}}</ref>

===Immigration===
Farage has said that he supports Muslim immigrants who integrate to British society, but is against those who are "coming here to take us over", citing John Howard's Australia as a government to emulate in that regard.<ref>{{cite news|work=The Observer |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/31/boris-johnson-nigel-farage-in-quotes |location=London |author=Bromwich, Kathryn |title=Boris Johnson and Nigel Farage: their wit and wisdom |accessdate=31 August 2014 |date=30 August 2014 |archivedate=31 August 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831163934/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/aug/31/boris-johnson-nigel-farage-in-quotes |url-status=live  }}</ref> He told a Channel 4 documentary in 2015 that there is a "fifth column" of Islamic extremists in the United Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|title=Nigel Farage: British Muslim "fifth column" fuels immigration fear|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/12/nigel-farage-british-muslim-fifth-column-fuels-immigration-fear-ukip|accessdate=12 March 2015|work=The Guardian|location=London|date=12 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150312130041/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/mar/12/nigel-farage-british-muslim-fifth-column-fuels-immigration-fear-ukip|archivedate=12 March 2015}}</ref> Farage has said that the "basic principle" of Enoch Powell's 'Rivers of blood' speech was correct: "What he was warning about was the large influx of people into an area, that change an area beyond recognition, there is tension," he said."<ref name="Telegraph Farage Rivers of Blood">{{cite news|last=Graham|first=Georgia|title=Nigel Farage: 'the basic principle' of Enoch Powell's River of Blood speech is right|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10552055/Nigel-Farage-the-basic-principle-of-Enoch-Powells-River-of-Blood-speech-is-right.html|work=The Daily Telegraph|location=London|accessdate=7 January 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140106081743/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/immigration/10552055/Nigel-Farage-the-basic-principle-of-Enoch-Powells-River-of-Blood-speech-is-right.html|archivedate=6 January 2014}}</ref>

In a 2014 interview on the LBC radio station, Farage said that he would feel "concerned" if a group of Romanian men moved next door to him. When interviewer James O'Brien inquired what would be the difference between Romanian men moving next door and a group of German children, in reference to Farage's German wife and children, Farage replied: "You know the difference."<ref>{{cite news|date=16 May 2014|url=http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukips-nigel-farage-tells-lbc-radio-i-dont-want-romanians-my-neighbours-audio-1448900|author=Gover, Dominic|title=Ukip's Nigel Farage Tells LBC Radio: I Don't Want Romanians as my Neighbours|work=International Business Times|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517153631/http://www.ibtimes.co.uk/ukips-nigel-farage-tells-lbc-radio-i-dont-want-romanians-my-neighbours-audio-1448900|archivedate=17 May 2014}}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e23ce9e8-dd0f-11e3-8546-00144feabdc0.html |author=Pickard, Jim |date=16 May 2014 |title=Nigel Farage radio interview brought to abrupt close |work=Financial Times |location=London |archivedate=18 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140518144447/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/e23ce9e8-dd0f-11e3-8546-00144feabdc0.html |url-status=live  }}</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/16/nigel-farage-ukip-car-crash-radio-interview-lbc|title=Nigel Farage aide disrupts interview amid racism and expenses claims|work=The Guardian|location=London|author=Wintour, Patrick|date=16 May 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226175854/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/may/16/nigel-farage-ukip-car-crash-radio-interview-lbc|archivedate=26 December 2016}}</ref> He later expanded on this on the UKIP website, stating that "if we were able to operate a proper work permit scheme for Romanian nationals, with suitable checks, as recommended by UKIP, then nobody would need to be concerned if a group of Romanian nationals moved in next door to them."<ref>{{cite web|publisher=UKIP |url=http://www.ukip.org/ukip_leader_stands_by_his_assertion_that_people_have_a_right_to_be_concerned_if_a_group_of_romanians_move_in_next_door |title=UKIP leader stands by his assertion that people have a right to be concerned if a group of Romanians move in next door |archivedate=17 May 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140517155736/http://www.ukip.org/ukip_leader_stands_by_his_assertion_that_people_have_a_right_to_be_concerned_if_a_group_of_romanians_move_in_next_door |url-status=live  }}</ref>

Farage called on the British government in 2013 to accept more refugees from the Syrian Civil War.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/29/nigel-farage-syrian-refugees-uk |title=Nigel Farage calls on government to let Syrian refugees into UK |work=The Guardian |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20161226180002/https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/29/nigel-farage-syrian-refugees-uk |archivedate=26 December 2016  }}</ref> He later said that those refugees should be of the country's Christian minority, due to the existence of nearer Muslim-majority safe countries.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Mason|first1=Rowena|title=Nigel Farage rows back on call to grant asylum to Syrian refugees|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/30/nigel-farage-asylum-syrian-refugees-christians|accessdate=20 September 2015|work=The Guardian|date=30 December 2013|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20151023103925/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2013/dec/30/nigel-farage-asylum-syrian-refugees-christians|archivedate=23 October 2015}}</ref> During the ensuing migration crisis, Farage alleged that the majority of people claiming to be refugees were economic migrants, and that some were [[Religion:Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant|Islamic State]] militants.<ref>{{cite news|title=Migrant crisis: Farage says EU 'mad' to accept so many|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34197707|accessdate=19 October 2015|publisher=BBC News|date=9 September 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150912091928/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-34197707|archivedate=12 September 2015}}</ref>

In a 2015 interview Farage stated that he had a "slight preference" for immigrants from countries such as India and Australia compared to those from [[Place:Eastern Europe|Eastern Europe]], as they "are in some ways more likely to speak English, understand common law and have a connection with this country".<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage: Indian and Australian immigrants better than eastern Europeans |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2015/apr/22/nigel-farage-immigrants-india-australia-better-than-eastern-europeans |work=The Guardian |date=22 April 2015}}</ref> Polish aristocrat John Zylinski challenged Farage to a sword duel in Hyde Park over Farage's comments on immigration.<ref>{{cite news |title=Polish Prince challenges Nigel Farage to a sword duel over immigration comments |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2016/03/22/polish-prince-challenges-nigel-farage-to-a-sword-duel-over-immig/ |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=13 April 2015}}</ref>

===Foreign policy===
Farage has been highly critical of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, saying "Nobody should forget that the most devastating direct consequences of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have not been suffered by the likes of Mr Blair, but by the civilian populations of these countries and of course by our own brave service personnel".<ref name="Al Bawaba 2016">{{cite web | title=#Leave UKIP: Farage's top comments on the Middle East | website=Al Bawaba | date=4 July 2016 | url=http://www.albawaba.com/loop/leave-ukip-farage-top-comments-middle-east-859294 | accessdate=4 July 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160705145627/http://www.albawaba.com/loop/leave-ukip-farage-top-comments-middle-east-859294 | archivedate=5 July 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> Farage stated that migrant exodus from Libya had been caused by NATO military intervention, approved by David Cameron and Nicolas Sarkozy, in the civil war in Libya.<ref>{{cite news |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11548171/Nigel-Farage-David-Cameron-directly-caused-Libyan-migrant-crisis.html |title=Nigel Farage: David Cameron 'directly caused' Libyan migrant crisis |work=The Daily Telegraph |date=19 April 2015 |author=Holehouse, Matthew |location=London |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150419184702/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11548171/Nigel-Farage-David-Cameron-directly-caused-Libyan-migrant-crisis.html |archivedate=19 April 2015  }}</ref> When the UK Parliament was debating direct military involvement in Syria in 2013, Farage cited the financial and human costs and poor outcomes of the UK involvements in Iraq and Afghanistan as reasons for Britain not to become involved militarily in Syria. He has expressed fears that rebel forces in Syria may be Islamic extremists.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Farage|first1=Nigel|title=EXCLUSIVE 'We're tired of wars' – Nigel Farage explains why we MUST resist striking Syria|url=http://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/425185/EXCLUSIVE-We-re-tired-of-wars-Nigel-Farage-explains-why-we-MUST-resist-striking-Syria|accessdate=19 October 2015|work=Daily Express|date=29 August 2013}}</ref>

Farage has criticised Britain's close ties with Saudi Arabia.<ref>"[http://www.express.co.uk/news/politics/631332/Nigel-Farage-Saudi-Arabia-Britain-relationship-mass-executions-Shia-cleric-Nimr-al-Nimr We need to be gutsy! Farage calls for Britain to cut Saudi ties after mass executions]". ''Daily Express''. 4 January 2016.</ref> He said: "I think we need a complete re-appraisal of who Saudi Arabia are, what our relationship with them is, and stop extremist talk turning the minds of young, male Muslims in this country."<ref>"[http://www.lbc.co.uk/farage-we-need-to-re-appraise-our-relationship-with-saudi-arabia---122465 Farage: We Need To Re-Appraise Our Relationship With Saudi Arabia] {{webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160818232824/http://www.lbc.co.uk/farage-we-need-to-re-appraise-our-relationship-with-saudi-arabia---122465 |date=18 August 2016 }}". LBC. 3 January 2015.</ref> In an interview with Fox News Channel, Farage criticised the West's reluctance to hold Saudi Arabia accountable for the assassination of Jamal Khashoggi and the kingdom's decades-long propagation of radical [[Religion:Wahhabism|Wahhabism]], while stressing the importance of British and American economic and security ties to the Kingdom.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage on Trump's handling of Saudi Arabia |url=https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_TDf23YyYU4 |publisher=Fox News |date=21 November 2018}}</ref>

Farage called French President Emmanuel Macron a "globalist" who wants "many more powers to be centralized in Brussels, powers taken from the member states".<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage on Being Called an 'Anti-Semite,' Putin 'Being a Questionable Human Being,' and His Anti-EU Allies |url=https://www.newsweek.com/2018/05/18/nigel-farage-brexit-anti-eu-putin-916172.html |work=Newsweek |date=5 October 2018}}</ref> Farage accused [[Biography:Recep Tayyip Erdoğan|Erdoğan]]'s [[Place:Turkey|Turkey]] of "blackmailing" the EU over the European migrant crisis and Turkey's proposed European membership.<ref>{{cite news |title=Nigel Farage accuses Turkey of 'blackmailing' the EU over the refugee crisis |url=https://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/politics/nigel-farage-accuses-turkey-of-blackmailing-the-eu-over-the-refugee-crisis-a6921316.html |work=The Independent |date=9 March 2016}}</ref> When asked in 2014 which leaders he admired, Farage said, "As an operator, but not as a human being, I would say Putin. The way he played the whole Syria thing. Brilliant. Not that I approve of him politically. How many journalists in jail now?"<ref>{{cite news|title=Nigel Farage: I admire Vladimir Putin |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/31/farage-i-admire-putin |newspaper=The Guardian |agency=Press Association |location=London |date=31 March 2014 |archivedate=31 March 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140331170810/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/31/farage-i-admire-putin |url-status=live  }}</ref> Farage has criticised what he sees as EU militarism agitating western Ukrainians against Russia.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Wintour|first1=Patrick|title=Nigel Farage hits out at 'militarist' EU over Ukraine|url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/28/nigel-farage-eu-miltarist-ukraine-nick-clegg|accessdate=19 October 2015|work=The Guardian|date=28 March 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150808111355/http://www.theguardian.com/politics/2014/mar/28/nigel-farage-eu-miltarist-ukraine-nick-clegg|archivedate=8 August 2015}}</ref> Later, in 2015, he said about Putin that "The European Union, and the West, view Putin as the devil. They want to view Putin as the devil. I’m not saying I want take him around for tea and meet mum on Sunday afternoon … But the point is, on this bigger overall battle [against ISIS in Syria] we need to start recognizing we’re on the same side".<ref name="Al Bawaba 2016" /><ref name="RT International 2016">{{cite web | title=Nigel Farage: 'UK may need to join Putin & Assad to battle ISIS' | website=RT International | date=4 July 2016 | url=https://www.rt.com/uk/323669-farage-syria-russia-isis/ | accessdate=4 July 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160820040322/https://www.rt.com/uk/323669-farage-syria-russia-isis/ | archivedate=20 August 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

Farage's stance on [[Religion:Iran|Iran]] has shifted over time. In 2013 he opposed sanctions on Iran, and criticised a potential Israeli strike on Iranian nuclear facilities, stating: "I do not support acts of aggression, even from countries that feel their existence is threatened".<ref>{{cite news|work=Jewish Chronicle|url=https://www.thejc.com/news/uk-news/nigel-farage-west-wrong-on-iran-sanctions-1.46724|date=11 July 2013|title=Nigel Farage: West wrong on Iran sanctions}}</ref> In 2018 he condemned Jeremy Corbyn's "record for standing up and defending this hardline Islamist regime" and declared that regime change was "absolutely the right thing" in Iran.<ref>{{cite news|work=LBC|url=http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nigel-farage/nigel-farage-jeremy-corbyns-silence-iran-protests/|date=2 January 2018|title=Nigel Farage Calls Out Jeremy Corbyn's Silence On Iran}}</ref>

===Firearms===
In 2014 Farage said that it was UKIP policy for handguns in the UK to be legalised and licensed, describing the current legislation, brought in after the Dunblane school massacre, as "ludicrous".<ref name="Graham 2014">{{cite news | last=Graham | first=Georgia | title=Hand guns should be legalised and licensed, Nigel Farage has said | website=Telegraph.co.uk | date=24 January 2014 | url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10595087/Hand-guns-should-be-legalised-and-licensed-Nigel-Farage-has-said.html | accessdate=19 February 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160315194534/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10595087/Hand-guns-should-be-legalised-and-licensed-Nigel-Farage-has-said.html | archivedate=15 March 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref> He has also said that there was no link between responsible handgun ownership and gun crime.<ref name="Williams 2014">{{cite news | last=Williams | first=Jennifer | title=Farage: No return to 'Gunchester' if handguns legalised | website=Manchester Evening News | date=25 January 2014 | url=http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ukip-leader-nigel-farage-no-6593401 | accessdate=19 February 2016 | url-status=live | archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160302213246/http://www.manchestereveningnews.co.uk/news/greater-manchester-news/ukip-leader-nigel-farage-no-6593401 | archivedate=2 March 2016 | df=dmy-all }}</ref>

===Conspiracy theories===
Farage appeared in an online documentary, ''Bilderberg: The Movie'' (2014) alongside a number of conspiracy theorists. In the film he said: "I've tried very hard not to believe in conspiracy theories," but accused the [[Social:European Union|European Union]] of moving "towards supranationalism", adding: "I've got to know over the years the Van Rompuys, the Schulzes, you know, the Barrosos, even the Junckers, the Timmermans, and it's completely clear, they actually want to destroy the nation state as a unit". According to an investigation by the anti-racism group Hope Not Hate, Farage has also retweeted Jack Posobiec, a promoter of the debunked [[Social:Pizzagate conspiracy theory|Pizzagate conspiracy theory]]. A Brexit party spokesman dismissed the findings as "a series of tangential, transient retweets."<ref>{{cite news |last1=Savage |first1=Michael |title=Brexit party MEPs' links to alt-right media agenda exposed |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/aug/18/brexit-party-meps-links-alt-right-media-conspiracy-theories-revealed |work=The Observer |date=18 August 2019}}</ref> Farage has appeared alongside conspiracy theorists from the LaRouche movement and [[Company:InfoWars|InfoWars]].<ref>{{cite web |title=Overview: The Ugly Truth About the Brexit Party |url=https://www.hopenothate.org.uk/overview/ |website=HOPE not hate}}</ref><ref>{{cite news |last1=Walker |first1=Peter |title=How Farage adapted his voice to Infowars' toxic worldview |url=https://www.theguardian.com/politics/2019/may/06/how-nigel-farage-adapted-his-message-infowars-toxic-worldview-alex-jones |accessdate=4 September 2019 |work=The Guardian |date=6 May 2019}}</ref>

==Electoral performance==
Farage has contested several elections under the UKIP banner and one under the Brexit Party banner:

{| class="wikitable"
|+UK Parliament elections
|-
! Date of election
! Constituency
! colspan="2" |Party
! Votes
! % of votes
! Result
|-
|1994 by-election
|Eastleigh
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|952
|1.7
|Not elected
|-
|1997 general election
|Salisbury
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|3,332
|5.7
|Not elected
|-
|2001 general election
|Bexhill and Battle
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|3,474
|7.8
|Not elected
|-
|2005 general election
|South Thanet
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|2,079
|5.0
|Not elected
|-
|2006 by-election
|Bromley and Chislehurst
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|2,347
|8.1
|Not elected
|-
|2010 general election
|Buckingham
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|8,410
|17.4
|Not elected
|-
|2015 general election
|South Thanet
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|16,026
|32.4
|Not elected
|}
{| class="wikitable"
|+European Parliament elections
|-
! Date of election
! Constituency
! colspan="2" |Party
! Votes
! % of votes
! Result
|-
|1994 European election
|Itchen, Test and Avon
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|12,423
|5.4
|Not elected
|-
|1999 European election
|South East England
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|144,514
|9.7
|Elected
|-
|2004 European election
|South East England
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|431,111
|19.5
|Elected
|-
|2009 European election
|South East England
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|440,002
|18.8
|Elected
|-
|2014 European election
|South East England
| style="background-color: {{United Kingdom Independence Party/meta/color}}" |
|UKIP
|751,439
|32.1
|Elected
|-
|2019 European election
|South East England
| style="background-color: {{Brexit Party/meta/color}}" |
|Brexit Party
|915,686
|36.1
|Elected
|}

==Broadcasting career==
<!--The Nigel Farage Show-->
Since January 2017 Farage has hosted ''The Nigel Farage Show'' on the UK talk radio station LBC. The show is broadcast live on Mondays to Thursdays from 6{{nbsp}}pm to 7{{nbsp}}pm.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nigel-farage/|title=LBC|website=LBC|accessdate=19 June 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170618041612/http://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nigel-farage/|archivedate=18 June 2017}}</ref> Also, since September 2017, Farage has hosted an additional new show on LBC, ''The Nigel Farage Show On Sunday'', which is broadcast live every Sunday from 10{{nbsp}}am to 12{{nbsp}}pm noon.{{citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Although it is primarily an audio-only radio presentation, the show can also be watched from a [[Engineering:Television|television]]-style visual perspective with Farage appearing live on-screen via a set of cameras within the LBC studio. This way of watching the programme is available (officially) via LBC's [[Company:YouTube|YouTube]] channel, LBC's [[Company:Facebook|Facebook]] page, LBC's [[Company:Twitter|Twitter]] feed as well as LBC's [[Software:Periscope (app)|Periscope]] account during the time the show is live on-air. The weekday editions of ''The Nigel Farage Show'' has become one of the most popular shows on LBC.{{Citation needed|date=May 2019}}

Farage said on his show that Channel 4 journalist Jon Snow "should be attacked" for his "condescending bias" during coverage of a pro-Brexit protest in March 2019. Ofcom decided that Farage had not broken their broadcasting code since he clarified that he meant a verbal attack.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.bbc.com/news/entertainment-arts-49234351|title=Snow and Farage cleared over Brexit rally remarks|date=5 August 2019|access-date=2019-08-05|language=en-GB}}</ref>

On 31 October 2019, the day the UK was set to leave the [[Social:European Union|European Union]] before the approval of a delay, Farage interviewed US President Donald Trump on his LBC show. Trump criticised Prime Minister Boris Johnson's Brexit deal, saying it made it difficult for the UK to strike a trade deal with the US.<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/politics/2019/10/31/donald-trump-interview-boris-johnson-urged-join-forces-nigel/|title=Donald Trump interview: Boris Johnson urged to join forces with Nigel Farage and beat 'bad' Jeremy Corbyn
|date=31 October 2019|access-date=1 November 2019|language=en-GB}}</ref>

<!--Farage Against The Machine-->
From March 2018 to July 2018, Farage hosted a podcast under the LBC banner entitled ''Farage Against The Machine'', a play on words for the term 'rage against the machine', where he discussed the latest political developments and political news with political figures who Farage both agrees, and disagrees with. New episodes of the podcast were released every Friday, but the podcast was cancelled after the American rock music band Rage Against the Machine sent a [[Social:Cease and desist|cease and desist]] letter to Farage, demanding that Farage change the name of the podcast, which he was unwilling to do, prompting LBC to reluctantly trigger its cancellation.<ref>{{cite web|url=https://www.theguardian.com/music/2018/jul/11/rage-against-the-machine-abhors-nigel-farage-podcast-tag|title=Rage Against the Machine demand Nigel Farage change podcast name|work=The Guardian|accessdate=21 February 2019}}</ref> {{Clear}}

==Personal life==
[[File:Nigel Farage.jpg|upright|thumb|Farage attending the 2009 Ashes series at Lord's Cricket Ground]]
<!--Family-->
Farage lives in Single Street,<ref>{{cite web|title=Surrey County Council – MEP details – Nigel Farage MEP|url=https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=458|website=Surrey County Council|accessdate=23 January 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202014825/https://mycouncil.surreycc.gov.uk/mgUserInfo.aspx?UID=458|archivedate=2 February 2017}}</ref> a hamlet in the London Borough of Bromley, "around the corner from Jail Lane".<ref name=Durkin20140330/> He has been married twice. In 1988 he married Irish nurse Gráinne Hayes, with whom he has two children: Samuel (born 1989) and Thomas (born 1991). The couple divorced in 1997.<ref name="ukwhoswho.com"/> In 1999 he married Kirsten Mehr, a German national; the couple have two children.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/?xml=/news/2007/03/11/nukip11.xml |title=Making plans with Nigel |newspaper=The Daily Telegraph |date=11 March 2007 |location=London |first=Robert |last=Watts |accessdate=20 May 2010 |archivedate=26 September 2013 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20130926153721/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/?xml=%2Fnews%2F2007%2F03%2F11%2Fnukip11.xml |url-status=live  }}</ref> Farage has spoken of how his children have been teased because of their relation to him.<ref name="fishing" /> He has made reference to his German wife in response to criticisms that he is "anti-Europe", while he himself says he is merely anti-EU.<ref name="goldsmith" /> Farage has employed his wife Kirsten as his parliamentary secretary<ref name="telegraph-20140422">{{cite news|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10780516/Nigel-Farage-no-Briton-could-work-as-hard-as-my-German-wife.html|title=Nigel Farage: no Briton could work as hard as my German wife|last=Holehouse|first=Matthew|date=22 April 2014|newspaper=The Daily Telegraph|accessdate=22 April 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140422180605/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/ukip/10780516/Nigel-Farage-no-Briton-could-work-as-hard-as-my-German-wife.html|archivedate=22 April 2014|url-status=live|location=London}}</ref> and in April 2014 he said that "nobody else could do that job".<ref name="telegraph-20140422" /><ref name="bbc-20140422">{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27116110|title=UKIP immigration policy – the wife test|last=Robinson|first=Nick|date=22 April 2014|work=BBC News|accessdate=23 April 2014|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140428042848/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-27116110|archivedate=28 April 2014|url-status=live|authorlink=Nick Robinson (journalist)}}</ref> In February 2017 his wife told the Press Association that they were living "separate lives" and that Farage had "moved out of the family home a while ago".<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38879101|title=Nigel Farage and wife Kirsten 'living separate lives'|work=BBC News|date=6 February 2017|accessdate=6 February 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170206141144/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-38879101|archivedate=6 February 2017}}</ref>

In a BBC interview with Rachel Johnson in May 2017 he described himself as "53, separated, skint [broke]", citing 20 years of campaigning as the reason for both.<ref>{{cite news|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-40047762/nigel-farage-i-m-separated-i-m-skint|title=Nigel Farage: I'm separated, I'm skint|work=BBC News|accessdate=19 June 2017|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20170619215256/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/av/uk-politics-40047762/nigel-farage-i-m-separated-i-m-skint|archivedate=19 June 2017}}</ref>

<!--Health-->
On 25 November 1985 Farage was hit by a car after a night out, and suffered injury to his head and left leg, the latter nearly requiring amputation. He was in casts for 11 months but recovered, and the nurse who treated him became his first wife.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Farage|first1=Nigel|title=Nigel Farage: A car crash nearly killed me, but at least I got a wife out of it|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11466527/Nigel-Farage-A-car-crash-nearly-killed-me-but-at-least-I-got-a-wife-out-of-it.html|accessdate=10 April 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=13 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416154302/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11466527/Nigel-Farage-A-car-crash-nearly-killed-me-but-at-least-I-got-a-wife-out-of-it.html|archivedate=16 April 2015}}</ref> On 26 December 1986, Farage first felt symptoms of what was later discovered to be [[Medicine:Testicular cancer|testicular cancer]]. He had the left testicle removed, and the cancer had not spread to any other organs.<ref name=purplerev/>

<!--Writings-->
In 2010 Farage published a memoir, entitled ''Fighting Bull'' (''Flying Free'' in paperback), outlining the founding of UKIP and his personal and political life so far.<ref>{{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=k38TRAAACAAJ |title=Fighting Bull |first=Nigel |last=Farage |publisher=Biteback Publishing |year=2010 |isbn=9781849540391  }}</ref> A second book, ''The Purple Revolution: The Year That Changed Everything'', was released by Biteback Publishing in 2015.<ref name=purplerev>{{cite news|last1=Farage|first1=Nigel|title=Nigel Farage: Cancer, a lemon-sized testicle and how the NHS failed me|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11466515/Nigel-Farage-Cancer-a-lemon-sized-testicle-and-how-the-NHS-failed-me.html|accessdate=10 April 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=13 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150416154225/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11466515/Nigel-Farage-Cancer-a-lemon-sized-testicle-and-how-the-NHS-failed-me.html|archivedate=16 April 2015}}</ref>

<!--Leisure-->
Farage is a keen cricket fan and has appeared on ''Test Match Special''.<ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/nigel-farage/real-politicians-love-cri_b_893017.html |title=Nigel Farage: Real Politicians Love Cricket |newspaper=The Huffington Post |accessdate=11 February 2014 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20061116065904/http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/nigel-farage/real-politicians-love-cri_b_893017.html |archivedate=16 November 2006 |url-status=live  }}</ref> He appeared in an advertisement for the bookmaker Paddy Power ahead of golf's 2014 Ryder Cup.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Lockhart|first1=Keely|title=Nigel Farage finally admits his love for all things European in Paddy Power advert for Ryder Cup|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/rydercup/11120982/Nigel-Farage-finally-admits-his-love-for-all-things-European-in-Paddy-Power-advert-for-Ryder-Cup.html|accessdate=13 October 2014|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=25 September 2014|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20141007081304/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/sport/golf/rydercup/11120982/Nigel-Farage-finally-admits-his-love-for-all-things-European-in-Paddy-Power-advert-for-Ryder-Cup.html|archivedate=7 October 2014}}</ref> However, due to spinal injuries since his 2010 plane crash, he cannot play golf.<ref>{{cite news|last1=Dodds|first1=Laurence|title=Sixteen things we learned from Nigel Farage's new book, The Purple Revolution|url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11469653/Sixteen-things-we-learned-from-Nigel-Farages-new-book-The-Purple-Revolution.html|accessdate=8 May 2015|work=The Daily Telegraph|date=16 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403165013/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/11469653/Sixteen-things-we-learned-from-Nigel-Farages-new-book-The-Purple-Revolution.html|archivedate=3 April 2015}}</ref> Farage is also an association football fan, and supports Crystal Palace FC.<ref>{{cite web|url=http://home.bt.com/news/news-extra/which-football-teams-do-the-party-leaders-support-11363973124949|title=Which football teams do the party leaders support?|publisher=|accessdate=29 March 2018}}</ref> He likes to relax by fishing alone at night on the Kent coast.<ref name=fishing>{{cite news|last1=Landale|first1=James|title=Leader profile: 24 hours with Nigel Farage|url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31771963|accessdate=6 March 2015|work=BBC News|date=6 March 2015|url-status=live|archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150306170514/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-31771963|archivedate=6 March 2015}}</ref> Farage is a smoker<ref>{{cite news |last1=Godwin |first1=Richard |title=Nigel Farage: have you met the cretins in Westminster? Our candidates can't be any worse than them |url=https://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/nigel-farage-have-you-met-the-cretins-in-westminster-our-candidates-cant-be-any-worse-than-them-8594647.html |accessdate=29 March 2015 |work=London Evening Standard |date=29 April 2013 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150403014226/http://www.standard.co.uk/lifestyle/london-life/nigel-farage-have-you-met-the-cretins-in-westminster-our-candidates-cant-be-any-worse-than-them-8594647.html |archivedate=3 April 2015  }}</ref> and also fond of beer, this forming part of his public image.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Dalingwater |first1=Adrian |title=Connecting with voters: Does being a 'normal bloke' work? |url=https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-32395803 |accessdate=23 April 2015 |work=BBC News |date=22 April 2015 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20150424025447/http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-32395803 |archivedate=24 April 2015  }}</ref> Farage is a member of the East India, Devonshire, Sports and Public Schools' Club, a gentlemen's club situated in St. James's Square in [[Place:London|London]].<ref>{{cite news |last=Pickard |first=Jim |date=3 May 2013 |title=Nigel Farage strikes right note with disgruntled working class |url=http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92b415d4-b409-11e2-ace9-00144feabdc0.html |newspaper=[[Social:Financial Times|Financial Times]] |access-date=27 January 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20140831105010/http://www.ft.com/cms/s/0/92b415d4-b409-11e2-ace9-00144feabdc0.html |archivedate=31 August 2014  }}</ref>

<!--Religion-->
Farage is a [[Religion:Christianity|Christian]]. In 2014 he described himself as a "somewhat lapsed" member of the Church of England.<ref name=religion>{{cite web|url = https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTgHLwQjGWs|title = The Jewish Chronicle interviews Nigel Farage of UKIP (Full)|date = 30 May 2014|accessdate = 16 January 2015|website = YouTube|url-status=live|archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20150519083332/https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JTgHLwQjGWs|archivedate = 19 May 2015|df = dmy-all}}</ref>

In April 2018 Farage said that his two youngest children have both British and German passports and that they speak "perfect German".<ref>{{Cite news|url=https://amp.theguardian.com/politics/2018/apr/18/nigel-farage-admits-his-children-hold-german-as-well-as-uk-passports|title=Nigel Farage: two of my children have German passports|last=Elgot|first=Jessica|date=18 April 2018|work=The Guardian|access-date=18 April 2018}}</ref>

===Car tampering===
In January 2016 Farage told ''The Mail on Sunday'' that he believed his car had been tampered with in October 2015, as he had been forced to stop when his car's wheel nuts came loose. He reported that he had spoken with the French police but did not wish to pursue the matter any further.<ref>{{cite news |last1=Harley |first1=Nicola |title=Nigel Farage fears he was victim of assassination attempt after motorway crash |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/12078683/Nigel-Farage-fears-he-was-victim-of-assassination-attempt-after-motorway-crash.html |accessdate=6 January 2016 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=2 January 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160106050542/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/nigel-farage/12078683/Nigel-Farage-fears-he-was-victim-of-assassination-attempt-after-motorway-crash.html |archivedate=6 January 2016}}</ref> ''The Times'', however, said Farage's story was untrue, and that Dunkirk prosecutors had no reason to suspect foul play or the police would have started an investigation. The owner of the breakdown garage concerned had said the problem was probably shoddy repair work, but he had been unable to communicate directly with Farage.<ref>{{cite news |url=http://www.thetimes.co.uk/tto/news/politics/article4658534.ece |title=Farage death plot claims rubbished |work=The Times |author=Adam Sage |date=6 January 2016 |accessdate=6 January 2016}}</ref> Farage later said he had made a "terrible, terrible mistake" in speaking to journalists and that a Sunday newspaper had misreported his claims of tampering as an assassination attempt.<ref>{{cite news |last1=McCann |first1=Kate |title=Nigel Farage: I made a 'terrible, terrible mistake' over assassination attempt claims |url=https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12088804/Nigel-Farage-I-made-a-terrible-terrible-mistake-over-assassination-attempt-claims.html |accessdate=8 January 2016 |work=The Daily Telegraph |location=London |date=8 January 2016 |url-status=live |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20160108215040/http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/12088804/Nigel-Farage-I-made-a-terrible-terrible-mistake-over-assassination-attempt-claims.html |archivedate=8 January 2016}}</ref>

== Awards ==
In November 2016 Farage was honoured with the Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in the 2016 Brexit referendum at the 33rd Parliamentarian of the Year awards run by political magazine ''The Spectator''.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/728253/Nigel-Farage-Brexit-Parliamentarian-ceremony|title=Nigel Farage wins lifetime achievement award for Brexit role at Parliamentarian ceremony|last=Ward|first=Charles|date=3 November 2016|website=Express.co.uk|language=en|access-date=2019-05-22}}</ref><ref>{{Cite web|url=https://blogs.spectator.co.uk/2016/11/spectator-parliamentarian-year-2016-winners/|title=Spectator Parliamentarian of the Year 2016: the speeches|date=2 November 2016|website=Coffee House|language=en-US|access-date=2019-05-22}}</ref>

In December 2016 he was shortlisted for ''{{wipe|Time (magazine)}}'' magazine's Person of the Year award.<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.express.co.uk/news/uk/740171/nigel-farage-time-magazine-person-year-donald-trump-vladimir-putin-beyonce|title=Nigel Farage nominated for ''Time'' Magazine's Person of the Year award|last=Mansfield|first=Katie|date=6 December 2016|website=Daily Express|language=en|access-date=2019-05-22}}</ref>

==See also==
*2016 United Kingdom European Union membership referendum
*''Brexit: The Uncivil War'', 2019 film

==Footnotes==
{{Reflist|30em}}

==References==
*[http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnTexteDeJorf?numjo=JUSX0200109L 2002 Amnesty law]
*Penal Code, articles [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnArticleDeCode?code=CPENALLL.rcv&art=133-11 L133-9], [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnArticleDeCode?code=CPENALLL.rcv&art=133-11 L133-10], [http://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/WAspad/UnArticleDeCode?code=CPENALLL.rcv&art=133-11 L133-11]

==Bibliography==
*''Fighting Bull''. Biteback  (autobiography 2010 hardback first edition) {{ISBN|9781849540391}}
*''Flying Free''. Biteback (autobiography 2011 paperback second edition) {{ISBN|9781849540940}}
*''The Purple Revolution: The Year That Changed Everything''. Biteback (memoir 2015 paperback) {{ISBN|9781849548632}}

==External links==
*[http://www.europarl.europa.eu/meps/en/4525/NIGEL_FARAGE_home.html Nigel Farage] ''Profile at European Parliament website''
*[http://www.ukipmeps.org/ UKIP MEPs] ''Official website of the UK Independence Party in the European Parliament''
*[http://www.efdgroup.eu/ Europe of Freedom and Democracy] ''Political group in the European Parliament''
*[https://web.archive.org/web/20130709123259/http://www.debretts.com/people/biographies/browse/f/20684/Nigel%20Paul+FARAGE.aspx ''Debrett's People of Today'']
*[https://www.lbc.co.uk/radio/presenters/nigel-farage/ Nigel Farage on LBC]

{{s-start}}
{{s-ppo}}
{{s-bef
| before = Alan Sked
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Chair of the UK Independence Party
| years = 1998–2000
}}
{{s-aft
| after = Mike Nattrass
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef
| before = Roger Knapman
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Leader of the UK Independence Party
| years = 2006–2009
}}
{{s-aft
| after = {{nowrap|The Lord Pearson of Rannoch}}
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-new|party
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Chair of Europe of Freedom and Democracy
| years = 2009–2014
}}
{{s-non
| reason = Party group abolished<br/><div style="line-height: 1.2em; font-size: 90%;">{{nobold|Superseded by<br/>Europe of Freedom<br/>and Direct Democracy}}</div>
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef
| before = Jeffrey Titford<br/>Acting
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Leader of the UK Independence Party
| years = 2010–2016
}}
{{s-aft
| after = Diane James
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-new|party
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Chair of Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy
| years = 2014–present
}}
{{s-inc
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef
| before = Diane James
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Leader of the UK Independence Party<br/>Acting
| years = 2016
}}
{{s-aft
| after = Paul Nuttall
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-bef
| before = Catherine Blaiklock
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Leader of the Brexit Party
| years = 2019–present
}}
{{s-inc
}}
{{s-break}}
{{s-par|eu}}
{{s-new|constituency
}}
{{s-ttl
| title = Member of the European Parliament<br/>for South East England
| years = 1999–present
}}
{{s-inc
}}
{{s-end}}


{{DEFAULTSORT:Farage, Nigel}}
[[Category:Climate change skepticism and denial]]

{{Sourceattribution|Nigel Farage|1}}