Getting The Band Back Together

Nigel Farage is wrong about drug legalisation, and that point does need to be made as often possible. But most MPs these days are rather self-servingly of that wrong-headed opinion in private, and Conservatives probably even more than most.

In any case, Farage was right about Iraq, and he was right about Brexit. No one has the moral right to criticise sharing a literal or metaphorical platform with him if they themselves have done so with Tony Blair at least at any time since 2003.

Farage needs to announce that he intended to contest the next Conservative seat that fell vacant. This time, he might even win. And as much as anything else, his candidacy would challenge the likes of "Tommy Robinson" (not his name), "Sargon of Akkad" (not his name), "Count Dankula" (not his name), "Britian First", and Katie Hopkins.

Challenge them to field a candidate against him and his view that, for example, statues of slave traders ought to be removed peacefully to museums. This is their chance to put to the voters their view that the statues of slave traders ought still to stand in the public square. And every other view that went with that. The Brexit Party wiped the floor with "Tommy", "Sargon" and the "Count" last year, and Farage could do it again. Therefore, he should.

Meanwhile, last night George Galloway used his weekly Workers' Party podcast to mention that he disliked the patronising of people from the North East of England, and that he was a fan of Sunderland 'Til I Die. It is possible that the people with whom I have been in touch might already have been in touch with him. In fact, it is really quite likely that they have been.

If George is thinking of making Sunderland his third team after Manchester United and Celtic, not necessarily in that order, then a ward such as Chester-le-Street West Central would suit him down to the ground. And depending on where things were in 2024, then that might lay the ground for him to have quite the victim impact.