As Farage as you can Throw Him
10 councils, 2 mayoralities and a parliamentary by-election does not the next Prime Minister make – but it does make one feel a bit queasy. In last year’s general election, Reform secured an un-nauseating 7% of Scottish votes but they, and regrettably Nige, are looking to improve on that baseline. Bad news, guys: Nigel Farage intends to cross the border more to, you know, hang out and grub for votes. Moreover, Reform has announced that it intends to stand in every Scottish constituency – a bit like putting a horse into every single race – it dramatically improves your odds and it’s possibly the first step towards a full-on incursion.
Forgetting for a moment that Reform is a re-branded gaggle of BNP-types intent on restoring ‘our’ great nation(al union,) that elides that Britain only got ‘great’ by being spectacularly not great to people all over the world, for centuries. Also forgetting that Reform is very much the empty vessel that makes the most (odious) noise; Reform is the crotch-lice of contemporary politics and Farage its super-spreader. I worry Scotland risks becoming Farage’s Greenland – he feels entitled to it because he sees it as a feather in his cap. Not to get all neo-colonial on you but maybe even a conquest – he’s big into that bollocks.
Although Farage, like the tangerine toddler to whom he aspires, looks as though he bathes in Irn-Bru, rather than imbibes it, he is not ‘for Scotland’ in any way that might, in fact, benefit Scotland. In fact, his perma-tan serves as both a warning of his political proximity to someone else who makes me retch, as well as a reflection of how much actual graft he does (spoiler: not a great deal unless you count Cameos.) Apparently, Farage joined Cameo to, ‘connect with people from all over the world in a more personal way’ – but only if that connection comes with an inflation-busting £71.25 price tag.
While he’s whispering sweet nothings about how it’s best to blame ‘others’ for the troubles that we presently face – rather than years of conservative austerity, global events and other orange people, Scotland must remain stalwart in telling him to jog on, pal. Becoming more right-wing when you feel the right hasn’t been ‘right’ enough, is very much throwing good money after bad.
Scotland has a rather proud history of being, well, there’s not an easy way to say this but, difficult. The might of the Roman empire, a colonising force who brooked no shit, looked at Scotland and gave it a hard pass (plus an enduring wall.) The Romans are surprisingly relevant just now because Farage essentially lives his life as if attending one spectacularly inappropriate toga party. Scotland is good at saying no to ideas that are batshit/highly thought of South of the border. Strathkelvin and Bearsden MSP Rona Mackay did not hold back in relation to Reform’s covetous glances and asserted that ‘We’re not going to have anything to do with it. It’s not the way we want to go.’ Those of voting age who might lean towards independence would do well to remember that Farage has a big thing about the Union Jack – which may speak to how kindly he’d take to any democratic process to dissolve it.
Farage is the sort of ‘Brit’ whose only interest in the rest of the Union is entirely transactional. Got a war to fight? Taxes to raise? Natural resources to plunder? Oh, yes, I’m your pal. His current artful deal is trying to become legitimate political opposition and be seen in the ¼ of his beloved union he was allegedly too scared or perhaps couldn’t be arsed to visit. If it’s the latter, maybe he really is a shitebag. If the bespoke shoe fits, Nige.
Perhaps we need to remember that Farage is about as English as it gets. I’m talking division-causing, colonialism-loving, said Andrew Tate (facing sexual offence charges in three countries – although admittedly a level of notoriety that Farage can only dream of) is an ‘important voice’ for men, English.
It’s pig-headed to claim that Scotland either knows better or is above Reform’s right-wing turbo-charged conservatism – it doesn’t and it’s not. Reform is selling a familiarly funky brand of snake oil – tapping into feelings of being hard done by, clamour for a (largely fictional) past and spaffing division at a time when this is less than helpful. You could say, if one were being unkind, that this is a leaf straight out of the Trumptastic American Playbook and that party chair, Zia Yusuf is just another techbro looking to splash his cash for power/favourable conditions in which to conduct his business.
Reform have been a little, *mumble mumble,* vague about their actual policies and in an attempt to redress this distinct lack of political nous, have started shouting about things like reducing immigration (stop the boats,) cancelling diversity initiatives (promoting bigotry and division) and only flying the Union Jack (jittery jingoism writ large.) It’s almost as if the Reform press office just re-worded their ugly rhetoric and tried to pass it off as plausible, implementable policy in order to Make Britain Great Again. Maybe it’s their job that’s about to evaporate. Reform is describing problems – it’s not presenting answers. Unless you count wanging on about flags and imposing ‘patriotic (as in historically inaccurate) education.’
Before we’re all subjected to the obligatory shots of Nige grinning inanely while holding a pint of Vitamin T or coy confessions that he’s long enjoyed smearing Tunnock’s on his lower portions, we must remember that Scotland reserves the right to be progressive and inclusive.
Scotland must resist.
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preaching to the converted here. We need positive and widespread campaigning against Reform or they will replace the Tories everywhere, including in Holyrood.
How do we get the message about Reform through to the hard and soft unionists? I have no idea.
Replace the Tories?
Based on last week’s English elections they’ll also replace Labour…….why?
It would have to come from politicians that people trust………..
That would negate SNP, Labour, Conservative, Green, and even the Lib Dems. You never know, being none of the prior may have something to do with Reform’s popularity.
Hud yer horses. If you’re mentioning Andrew Tate and wanging on about how great and progressive Scots have historically been, you might consider educating people about Scotland’s history of child marriage instead.
https://www.unfpa.org/child-marriage
I’m all for historically accurate education, but be aware that Scotland’s past is full of horrors, atrocities, superstitions, abuses, ignorance, imperial spearheadery and the infliction of injustices. The sooner we tell that story, the sooner we distance ourselves from Nigel Farage’s Reformitty jingoists.
I’m afraid the more middle class people sneer at and demean Mr Farage the more likely working class people (in both England and Scotland) are likely to vote for him.
What an odd statement. I’m sure you don’t know anything about the authors background. I think anyone is permitted to sneer at Farage
No, no please do not sneer at Farage. His snowflake devotees wont like that.
Oh and for the benefit of Mr Learmonth, I’m a retired building worker.
John L – what a patronising attitude to working class people. Polling shows Reform support is highest amongst older people most of whom will be retired and not working at all.
Emma Armstrong focuses on the symptom of Scotland’s problem.
The root cause is the British state.
The ‘article’ comprises a primary school analysis of Scotland’s predicament.
Is Duncanio same as Duncanio?
I have strong empathy with the distaste (to put it mildly) for Farage and his ilk expressed here.
It is a shame though that the article expresses its own typical blind-spot bigotry with statements like: ‘Perhaps we need to remember that Farage is about as English as it gets. I’m talking division-causing, colonialism-loving, said Andrew Tate . . . is an ‘important voice’ for men, English’.
Maybe the English should look at Wings below the line commenters (and the like), or go to an Old Firm game and say they are about as Scottish as it gets?
Nigel Farage (like Boris Johnson) represents an Anglo British nationalism which is a form of nationalism where the terms English and British are essentially interchangeable. The Scots, Welsh and Irish that do not fit into their definition of British are regarded as troublesome oddities. This is manifested in the much higher personal popularity that Johnson and Farage have amongst the population in England than elsewhere especially Scotland. If they are willing to bandy around the term Scottish nationalists as a form of derision for political purposes I think it is perfectly valid to call Farage and Johnson English nationalists. If naming Farage and his supporters as English nationalists is a strategy that can help oppose Reform UK in Scotland it is a tactic that opponents should not be squeamish about using.
I, like most Scots, am fully aware of social and societal problems within our country and we should not shy away from addressing regardless how big the organisations involved.
Of course he is a bigoted English nationalist. But that isn’t the point. The author states he is as ‘English as it gets’ then goes on to say that is characterised by ‘division-causing’ and ‘colonialism-loving’. In other words if you want to look at what a quintessential English person is, it is that.
Farage is a certain type of English person. Many millions of English are not like that and are just as ‘English as it gets’. Of course what says is that there no one ‘English as it gets’. When you make sweeping, blanket negative characterisations about a people it is bigotry, plain and simple.
Niemand – I have lived in all 3 countries on British mainland and abroad and have met plenty of decent people and had many friends in each country as well as meeting a few nasty characters as well.
Individual people across the three countries have many similarities and views but then again this could be extended to other European countries, Australia, USA, Canada etc.
This cannot disguise some significant political differences such as Scotland not voting Conservative as largest party for 70 years, Scotland voting nearly 2:1 against Brexit. There are some societal differences eg attitudes to the Royal Family are significantly different across both countries. The attitude of many of my English friends to Scotland having its own parliament post 1997 was often incomprehension and bewilderment as to why we would want our own parliament. Obviously these attitudes were not universal but their was a prevailing attitude of ignorance and arrogance towards the Celtic nations and their cultures. In my opinion many these attitudes were driven by the media leading to a ‘little Englanders’ mentality amongst many as exemplified by Farage and Johnson and possibly explaining why they are so popular south of the border.
Wings ? God almighty, do people still take Campbell seriously? His latest crusade is to close down the Scottish Parliament.
Is it?
Yes, his wheeze is that there should be referendum on either independence or close the Scottish Parliament. Not surprisingly some of the sillier members of Alba support the idea.
Don’t you just hate nationalists! As long as they aren’t you, of course.
I am very surprised that Farage doesn’t get more stick for being married to a German immigrant! Lay into him forewith!
I get the feeling Emma Thompson just nailed him to a cross, jammed a crown of thorns on his head, and stabbed him.
I realise that Bella is mostly an online mag for sociology graduates, but why is it publicising for Reform?
Wtf are you talking about?