Many great leaders have benefited from time spent abroad. Geographical distance can bring clarity and purpose to plans, as well as new experiences and encounters that inform your political philosophy.
Think of Lenin pondering everything in the British Museum, Napoleon reviving in exile on the Elbe, or about Gandhi observing persecution in South Africa and developing his theories of nonviolent protest.
You can add Nigel Farage to this illustrious team. The former Ukip leader was spotted at Brisbane Airport on Sunday, wearing a pink jacket and poppy, on his way into the jungle to film ITV's I'm a Celebrity Get Me Out of Here.
< p>Farage was coy at the time, saying only that he “might” be involved in the program and saying he saw value in it.
“I can't confirm I'm doing this. He told a MailOnline reporter at the airport: 'I just think there's a big… audience watching the program [who] are actually people… worth talking to.'” >
We no longer need to be surprised. Farage's appearance was confirmed this evening.
Even if Farage's time in the jungle doesn't lead him to seek high office, there may be other benefits. Photo: ITV
Farage was reportedly paid £1.5 million for his appearance, which is 4.68 times more than Matt Hancock, based on the £320,000 the former health secretary appears to have earned for appearing on the show in Last year.
When it comes to ITV primetime reality TV, it's worth following the money. Farage's higher fee reflects the fact that, unlike other politicians who have gone into the jungle, he is not a failure.
For Hancock, eating ass in the jungle ended his career as an MP as decisively as capturing it while the MP had finished his ministerial term.
Edwina Currie and Stanley Johnson were already retired when they appeared on the program.
Nadine Dorries is the only MP with potential but unspent political energy who submitted to the tyranny of Ant and Dec . Ten years after her controversial appearance in 2013, we can't say it's taken her straight to the top.
With Farage, things may be different. His introduction could hardly have been more fortuitous, given the Tories' organizational disarray and election hell. Suella Braverman has been fired, and personnel changes are underway. The situation is so desperate that Rishi Sunak has brought back Farage's old enemy, David Cameron. He was the future once, but will he be again? This seems unlikely.
Other leaders went abroad to better see their homeland. Farage goes to be seen by his homeland. Photo: Stefan Rousseau/PA Wire
Farage's return to frontline television comes after months in which his stock has risen. He looked stronger than ever at the Conservative Party conference. The Prime Minister has refused to rule out the possibility of Farage returning to the fold, with the man himself declaring that the Tories are now indistinguishable from the Labor Party and that he will become leader by 2026. The Tory right lacks direction and the rest of the party fears the cover-up he is due to receive from Labor at the next general election. Farage has already succeeded when the party ignored the views of the right. He remains well positioned to retake this territory.
The man himself maintains a dignified silence in the face of what, in a crowded field, could be the least dignified weeks of his life. As well as the bushtucker challenge, he can expect insects, tropical heat and despondent fellow competitors, without a pint of bitters or an RAF flyover to calm his nerves.
But Farage's comments at the airport suggest he sees value in the program beyond the gigantic turnout fee. I'm a Celebrity is watched by millions, many of whom weren't paying close attention to the Tory conference. In between the physical and taste tests, the program's participants have plenty of time for mindless chatter that leaves you longing for a poisonous spider to appear and get rid of you. As Farage says, there are people “out there” worth talking to, but the same cannot be said for the people there.
This vacuum can be the perfect breeding ground for ideas. Usually politics is too boring to be preferred to light entertainment, but in the jungle everyone can hear your plans. Could I'm a Celebrity be the launchpad for the former Ukip leader's political comeback? You wouldn't bet against it.
Even if Farage's time in the jungle doesn't lead him to high office, there may be other benefits. The removal of the whip did not mark a political upswing for Matt Hancock, but as SAS: Who Dares Wins proved, he has found his true calling: being humiliated on reality TV.
“I wouldn’t rule out a return to frontline politics in the future,” a friend of Nigel Farage told the Telegraph. “As SW1 members debate among themselves to decide which final candidate will get a seat at the cabinet table, millions of people feel they have no representation. He clearly sees his appearance as an opportunity to appeal to a new, younger audience – one that was too young to vote in the Brexit referendum. And it won't hurt what he decides to do next.”
Other leaders went abroad to get a better look at their homeland. Farage is traveling to be seen by his homeland. He'll loom day and night in blazing high definition, sweating in his safari suit and eating a marsupial's penis. It remains to be seen whether his plan will endear him to the home crowd. As seven unsuccessful general election campaigns demonstrate, personal public votes have never been Farage's strong suit. But then again, I'm a Celebrity is about trying something for the first time.
Recent Comments