No Hiding Place

Strasbourg, October 2016.

A member of the United Kingdom Independence Party (UKIP) is taken to hospital with a suspected bleed on the brain. This after a “scuffle” with another member of UKIP in the European Parliament building.

All UKIP Members of the European Parliament (MEPs) will be claiming their €96,000 annual salaries until such times as the UK leaves the European Union; an event which UKIP was formed to bring about, and for which it successfully campaigned in the EU referendum in June. Indeed, many commentators believe that UKIP were the most important motivator in the Leave vote.

Job done, Nigel Farage, leader of UKIP, resigned. After all, as he put it himself, he had “done everything he wanted to do.” Exit stage right, Mr Farage. Briefly. His successor, Diane James, lasted 18 days. Presumably she doesn’t possess skin thick enough for the job.

Re-enter Mr Farage to steady the ship as UKIP Interim Leader. As Al Pacino’s Michael Corleone said in the third incarnation of the Godfather, “just when I thought I was out, they pull me back in!”

Millions of UK Citizens would argue, meanwhile, that not only did they did they pull him back in, they don’t want to leave the EU and never would be grateful never to see Mr Farage’s gleaming face ever again. Perhaps events over the Pond might provide some relief from the whole sorry saga. If only…

 

Republican Presidential candidate Donald Trump is pilloried by politicians and public alike for recorded comments detailing his opinions of women. These are regarded as so appalling that support for Trump is withdrawn by 33 major figures in the GOP which he hopes to represent in the White House.

Revulsion is almost universal. Almost.

As it happens, reporters in St Louis interview a busy European politician who has found time to give support to Mr Trump. This MEP points out that, after all The Donald only wants to be President of the United States of America, “not the Pope.”

Wise words from the MEP for the South East of England. I’ll let you guess his name. For those of you who think Mr Farage will disappear once the Presidential election is over, a word of warning: get used to seeing that face. It has a habit of reappearing, whether its owner or the rest of the world wants it to.