I’ve followed Nigel Farage’s career since I was a humble politics student in 2013. The following ten years Mr Farage appeared to be more or less the same character. But at today’s crime press conference, I believe we’re beginning to see a fundamentally different politician than we’ve become used to.
Nigel is one of the best-known politicians not just in Britain but on the continent. His presence has been a ubiquitous phenomenon, and any rapid change in how he presented himself would come across as insincere. That’s why I find the man I saw today particularly interesting.
Slowly but surely, Reform is being led by a man who truly looks like he could be a prime minister. Not in the sense that Labour is falling off a cliff and the Tories are still hated by a majority of voters, but in a conventional sense he looks like a grown up.
That’s not for a second to suggest Nigel Farage has become ‘establishment’. The words coming out of his mouth today on migrants raping young girls, on deporting people to Afghanistan and putting illegal migrants in military bases would not be said by any other party leader.
But the presentation we were given signalled that Reform really is now in the mindset of preparing to be our next government.
Three key moments stood out to me that signalled this.
Firstly was a response to Jess Philip’s latest absurd claim that in wanting to tear up on the Online Safety Act, Mr Farage is siding with the likes of Jimmy Savile.
Not one level-headed voter believed this offensive take when Peter Kyle first came out with it last week. And now we’re being told it again by the women and children safeguarding minister who blocked an inquiry into the grooming gangs for so many months.
Nigel Farage could have hit back with both barrels. He could have mentioned Keir Starmer’s time as head of the CPS when Mr Savile wasn’t charged with historic child abuse. He could have personally criticised Ms Philips. He could have exploded in indignant anger.
The fact he didn’t was notable. It came across as level headed, calm, responsible, reasonable and above all prime ministerial.
He described the aims of the Online Safety Act as commendable, but correctly pointed out that it simply isn’t working in practice. He offered Ms Philips up for a “proper debate” about the law publicly, and offered to work with the government on tech solutions to the problems being caused. He concluded “I’m not going to sink to their level of abuse”.
I know which MPs comments will resonate better with the public.
The second moment was when he observed that Reform is at long last beginning to shred it’s historical ‘blokey’ image.
He argued that the rise in prominence of women’s safety as a result of the migrant crisis, including the recent case of an alleged rape of a 12 year old girl by two asylum seekers in Warwickshire, is fuelling women to get behind Reform.
Polling’s yet to show this conclusively, but once again I think he’s right – and that is a good thing for Reform, further bedding in the stability of its polling and setting Farage up even better for a shot at No. 10.
Thirdly was the choreography of the press conference itself. It was not the ‘Nigel Farage show’ to which we’ve become so accustomed.
The introduction of Vanessa Frake, the former governor of Wormwood Scrubs as Reform’s new justice adviser, was a proper heavy hitter new signing, and much more important than recent ex-Tory MP defections.
Mr Farage also announced the defection of the serving Police and Crime Commissioner in Leicestershire, Rupert Matthews, who made a powerfully damning speech taking aim at the Tories.
His 19-year-old Reform chief of Warwickshire was also there to update viewers on the aforementioned rape case in his patch.
Zia Yusuf was called up to deliver a detailed and expert critique of the Online Safety Act.
Today’s press conference was a proper team effort, and that helps Farage dispel claims he struggles to share the limelight.
You add all three of these factors up, and slowly but surely Farage is becoming less of an exciting political insurgent, and more of a steady, reassuring and credible candidate for Prime Minister. He needs to be both, and today he got that balancing act spot on.