Nigel Farage is giving ‘serious thought’ to political return

Nigel Farage today confirmed he is considering a return to frontline British politics as he accused the Government of failing to ‘get a grip’ of migrant Channel crossings. 

The former UKIP and Brexit Party leader said he is giving some ‘serious thought’ to a potential comeback. 

He said his ‘gut instinct is clearly not to do it’ because ‘taking on the Establishment in British politics… is a very, very hard thing to do’. 

But he said the migrant crossings ‘crisis we are facing is one of national security’ and could prompt his return.

Mr Farage also said he has been ‘approached by several high-ranking donors’ in recent weeks asking him ‘if I am considering getting back into the political arena’. 

His comments came after senior Tories warned Boris Johnson a failure to tackle the crossings could fuel the rise of a new UKIP-style political party which could cost the Conservatives their majority at a general election.

Mr Farage vowed to quit politics for good in March this year after three decades of campaigning which saw him lead UKIP several times before setting up the Brexit Party which he later rebranded as Reform UK.  

The Telegraph first reported that Mr Farage is considering a political comeback. 

The Brexiteer told the newspaper: ‘Over the last few weeks, I have been approached by several high-ranking donors asking me if I am considering getting back into the political arena. 

‘My gut instinct is not to do so, but I will have to give it some serious thought.’

Mr Farage later told MailOnline: ‘My gut instinct is clearly not to do it. I did it all for years and taking on the Establishment in British politics where all the rules are rigged against you is a very, very hard thing to do.

‘Although, I think the crisis we are facing is one of national security and I think the situation is likely to deteriorate massively unless something is done.’

The number of migrants making the perilous trip across the English Channel this year has surged to record levels.  

Some 1,000 migrants reached British shores last Tuesday alone, with the total for the year now above 24,000. That figure is almost triple the number that arrived in 2020.

Mr Farage tweeted this afternoon: ‘The Conservative Party must get a grip on immigration.’

Tory MPs have told Mr Johnson that voters ‘won’t forgive’ the Conservative Party if it fails to crackdown on the surge in crossings. 

They have warned that the issue is ‘very much on people’s lips because it just looks like state failure’. 

A Tory donor told The Sunday Telegraph that ministers must do ‘far more’ as they warned the issue is ‘going to destroy us and there is going to be a Farage-style party’.

They warned MrJohnson that a shift to the political centre ground will ‘open up a gap’ on the PM’s right flank, leaving space for another party which could cost the Tories a majority at a future election. 

Meanwhile, a poll for the same newspaper found that 77 per cent of Tory voters believe the Government’s approach to the migrant crossings is ‘too soft’. The number was 55 per cent for the public overall.