Nigel Farage resigns – or does he?
NIgel Farage has just been speaking on the white cliffs of Kent. He said other politicians break their promises but he would honour his.
He said he would stand down as leader if he failed to win election to the Commons and he would do just that. Well, almost.
He actually announced he’d take a leave of absence for the summer to enjoy himself. He even said who should be his temporary replacement – Suzanne Evans – his close ally and someone who has repeatedly said she would try to persuade him not to honour the pledge if he tried to go ahead with it.
He could be back as leader as soon as September, which makes you wonder if that counts as an honoured pledge.
Maybe he was just keeping his options open a crack, and has no real intention of returning to the leadership.
But he sounded like a man who couldn’t quite bring himself to walk away, even if he did manage a swipe at colleagues who’d failed him over the years.