On the face of it, the plight of the Government today is much, much worse than was David Cameron’s in 2014. Yet few people can think that Reform UK poses anything like the threat to the Tories that UKIP did ten years ago.
Farage is 59 – a rubbery, ebullient 59, but 59 nonetheless. Does he really fancy a decade’s prospective work to recast the right, with no certainty of elected office at the end of it?
He says that road haulage interests are trying to revive the pre-Brexit economy – but that the Government will stand firm for higher wages.
His best hope of success in British politics is to boost his chances in elections by dividing the Conservatives and plundering their vote.
It worked so well the last ten times, after all. Also: Reckless defects to Abolish as controversy over Drakeford’s lockdown – and who’s paying – deepens.
Never before has so much material been assembled from such a wealth of sources about the Leader of the House.
Also: Brokenshire sets Good Friday deadline for talks as UUP elect new leader; and Welsh Tories regain second place as Reckless ‘re-rats’ from UKIP.
The election to the Welsh Assembly of the former Conservative MP may be a sign that the UKIP leader’s command of his party is on the wane.
Also: Senior Plaid AM refuses to rule out Conservative pact; Villiers pressed for historical investigations cash; Labour try to pressure SNP with tax pledge; Welsh UKIP in turmoil; and more.
The party’s two new spokesmen on economics and business are both unelected party officials.
The last of our profiles looks at a region that witnessed another Liberal Democrat extinction event and the undoing of the People’s Army.
Also: UKIP predict Welsh success; DUP deny Robinson retirement allegations; Burnham pledges to let Labour stand in Northern Ireland; and Plaid disciplines Wood critic.
UKIP, like the SNP, have become expert Eeyores. They should proudly adopt the donkey as their symbol.
It has also contradicted its stance that “laws which impact the people of Wales should be made in Wales”.