Farage raises a pint for Brexit from 'crumbling' EU

Bs_logoImage
AFP London
Last Updated : Mar 29 2017 | 10:32 PM IST
Leading Brexit supporter Nigel Farage celebrated the start of Britain's departure from the EU today with a pint in a pub near parliament, saying it was a vindication for him after long years of campaigning.
Wearing Union Jack socks, the 52-year-old Farage sat outside the Marquis of Granby pub after Prime Minister Theresa May made the historic announcement.
"Today's the day for me after 25 years of campaigning that the impossible dream came true," he told SkyNews.
Farage, a member of the European Parliament, is the former leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) whose rise pushed then prime minister David Cameron into calling an EU membership referendum in 2013.
He said that advocating Britain's departure from the EU was "a minority sport" for many years.
"We were laughed at, abused.. And hey here we are," said Farage, a former commodities trader who resigned as UKIP leader following last year's Brexit referendum, saying he had achieved his lifelong dream.
Farage co-funded UKIP in 1993 and raised the party's profile. In Britain's last general election in 2015, the party got four million votes and it won European Parliament elections in 2014.
But despite the party's political successes and repeated attempts, Farage was never elected to parliament.
Following the resignation of UKIP's only MP over the weekend, it now has no representation in the legislature. There are now questions over the party's future because of months of bitter infighting.
Farage has said he will continue to monitor the British government's progress in negotiations but will not return to a frontline political role.
Apart from negotiating with Brussels, he said today that Britain should also set out its case to major exporters in France and Germany "to get them to put pressure on their own politicians".
"There may be politicians in Europe who are prepared to sacrifice their own workers' interests to keep this crumbling union together," he said.
"I want us to have a have a sensible free trade deal," he said, holding a copy of the europhobic Daily Express newspaper which carried a front page headline reading: "Dear EU, We're Leaving You".

Disclaimer: No Business Standard Journalist was involved in creation of this content

Subscribe to Business Standard digital and get complimentary access to The New York Times

Smart Quarterly

₹900

3 Months

₹300/Month

SAVE 25%

Smart Essential

₹2,700

1 Year

₹225/Month

SAVE 46%

Super Saver

₹3,900

2 Years

₹162/Month

Subscribe

Renews automatically, cancel anytime

Here’s what’s included in our digital subscription plans

Access to Exclusive Premium Stories Online

  • Over 30 behind the paywall stories daily, handpicked by our editors for subscribers

Complimentary Access to The New York Times

  • News, Games, Cooking, Audio, Wirecutter & The Athletic

Business Standard Epaper

  • Digital replica of our daily newspaper — with options to read, save, and share

Curated Newsletters

  • Insights on markets, finance, politics, tech, and more delivered to your inbox

Market Analysis & Investment Insights

  • In-depth market analysis & insights with access to The Smart Investor

Archives

  • Repository of articles and publications dating back to 1997

Ad-free Reading

  • Uninterrupted reading experience with no advertisements

Seamless Access Across All Devices

  • Access Business Standard across devices — mobile, tablet, or PC, via web or app

More From This Section

First Published: Mar 29 2017 | 10:32 PM IST