The newly-moustachioed, outgoing leader of Britain’s UK Independence Party (UKIP) has issued a devastating obituary of former Chancellor George Osborne’s political career, branding him a “pasty-faced bastard”, “a weasel”, and calling his behaviour during the European Union referendum campaign “despicable”.
Mr. Farage is no stranger to telling it the way he sees it. He told the Sunday Times that Mr. Osborne – who threatened Britons with higher taxes, recessions, and more if they voted to Leave the European Union – is a “departing weasel”.
“I’d have dragged him out by the scruff of the neck. I thought his behaviour was despicable,” said the outgoing UKIP leader, before adding: “Pasty-faced bastard. I’m pleased to see the back of him. I hope he never ever appears in public again.”
But he held back from saying similar of former Prime Minister David Cameron.
“I thought to myself that morning when he walked out that the only thing I’m going to say is something nice, because on a human level I always feel a bit sorry for him”.
Of the anti-Brexit biased Governor of the Bank of England Mark Carney, Mr. Farage commented: “He has not been even- handed. He has got to go.”
And he warned that UKIP must stay relevant at the ballot box and make sure people’s frustrations are vented democratically. That, or people would join street movements again, he warned.
“If there’s no one to speak for them, if there’s no one they identify with . . . then they could easily just say, ‘Well, sod this’. Either they have a political voice in Ukip, or what comes from Ukip, or they join the English Defence League — march on the streets”.
But UKIP is, for the moment, failing to capitalise on any Brexit boom. Instead the party is rife with infighting as leadership candidates tear chunks out of one another publicly. One of the driving forces behind a Conservative Party-leaning takeover of UKIP – Neil Hamilton – recently branded Mr. Farage a bully.
“Do I f****** care? Oh please, I mean, honestly. A bully?” Mr. Farage told the Times.
And on potentially returning as UKIP leader himself, Mr. Farage refused to rule it out.
“If Brexit wasn’t delivered, then I would have to think seriously about plunging back in… But I hope I don’t have to.”