Making Plans For Nigel

Before you start reading this blog I must point out this piece is not about XTC, one of the best things to come out of Swindon. I could wax lyrical about the genius songwriting duo Andy Partridge and Colin Moulding (Wiltshire’s answer to Lennon and McCartney). However, this blog is my view on the visit of Nigel Farage to the Isle of Wight this week.

Approximately 1,500 people paid £5 to hear the Reform leader speak at a rally held at an indoor equestrian centre. Nigel was due to fly in by private helicopter but, due to fog, a boat was hired for his trip across the Solent — no slumming it with the commuters and disgruntled travellers who pay a fortune for an unreliable service.

The local media and social media sites showed what a divisive man Farage is across the Island. He clearly thinks his party can win both seats here at the next general election, and I think he could be right. At present we have a Labour MP for the West and a Conservative for the East, both succeeding Bob Seely, who pretty much shot himself in the foot when he broke lockdown in 2020 to go to a barbecue at Isabel Oakeshott and Richard Tice’s holiday home at Seaview. It’s ironic he was socialising with two of the architects of his party’s downfall.

Nigel clearly had not done his homework on the Isle of Wight. He claimed there are asylum hotels here — which there are not. When challenged, he said, “Well, there will be in 18 months.” He also said he was unaware of the high cost of ferry travel and ruled out any idea of nationalisation. His party’s claim that council tax would not be increased if they are elected was questioned, as the councils they control have increased it. Nigel denied saying there would be no increase, arguing instead that his councils are smaller than others.

Reading the comments after the rally, the faithful are still with him and claiming we need a change, while many Islanders are appalled at his lack of knowledge of the Isle of Wight and his rhetoric towards immigrants.

All that said, Nigel Farage has been one of the most influential political figures in Britain for a generation, steering the national conversation in ways few others have managed. His visit to the Isle of Wight showed once again how easily he can command a room — even when he hasn’t done his homework. The real question now isn’t whether Farage understands the Island. It’s whether the Island, and the country beyond it, truly understand the consequences of the politics he has spent the last decade perfecting.