Nigel Farage facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Nigel Farage MP
Official portrait, 2024
Leader of Reform UK
Incumbent
Assumed office 3 June 2024
Chairman	Richard Tice Zia Yusuf
Deputy	David Bull and Ben Habib Richard Tice
Preceded by	Richard Tice
Previous party positions 1998–2024 Honorary President of Reform UK In role 6 March 2021 – 3 June 2024 Leader Richard Tice Preceded by Role established Succeeded by Role abolished Leader of The Brexit Party In role 22 March 2019 – 6 March 2021 Preceded by Catherine Blaiklock Succeeded by Richard Tice Leader of the UK Independence Party Acting 5 October 2016 – 28 November 2016 Chairman Paul Oakden Preceded by Diane James Succeeded by Paul Nuttall In office 5 November 2010 – 16 September 2016 Deputy David Campbell Bannerman Christopher Monckton Paul Nuttall Chairman Steve Crowther Preceded by Jeffrey Titford (Acting) Succeeded by Diane James In office 27 September 2006 – 27 November 2009 Deputy David Campbell Bannerman Chairman John Whittaker Paul Nuttall Preceded by Roger Knapman Succeeded by The Lord Pearson of Rannoch President of Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy In office 20 July 2004 – 1 July 2019 Served with Hanne Dahl Francesco Speroni David Borrelli Preceded by Jens-Peter Bonde Succeeded by Office abolished Chairman of the UK Independence Party In office 1998 – 22 January 2000 Leader Michael Holmes Preceded by Alan Sked Succeeded by Mike Nattrass
Member of Parliament for Clacton
Incumbent
Assumed office 4 July 2024
Preceded by	Giles Watling
Majority	8,405 (18.3%)
Member of the European Parliament for South East England
In office 10 June 1999 – 31 January 2020
Preceded by	Constituency established
Succeeded by	Constituency abolished
Personal details
Born	Nigel Paul Farage (1964-04-03) 3 April 1964 (age 61) Farnborough, Kent, England
Political party	Reform UK (after 2019)
Other political affiliations	Conservative (1978–1992) Anti-Federalist League (1992–1993) UKIP (1993–2018) Independent (2018–2019)
Spouses	Gráinne Hayes ​ ​ (m. 1988; div. 1997)​ Kirsten Mehr ​ ​ (m. 1999, sep)​
Domestic partner	Laure Ferrari
Children	4
Education	Dulwich College
Occupation	Politician broadcaster media personality
Signature

Nigel Paul Farage (born 3 April 1964) is a British politician and broadcaster. He is currently a Member of Parliament (MP) for Clacton. He has also been the Leader of Reform UK since 2024.

Before this, he led the same party (then called the Brexit Party) from 2019 to 2021. He also led the UK Independence Party (UKIP) twice, from 2006 to 2009 and from 2010 to 2016. Farage was a Member of the European Parliament (MEP) for South East England from 1999 until the UK left the European Union (EU) in 2020.

Farage is well-known for his strong belief that the UK should not be part of the European Union. This idea is called Euroscepticism. He played a big part in the campaign for the UK to leave the EU, which is known as Brexit.

Early Life and Education

Nigel Farage was born in Farnborough, Kent, England. His father was a stockbroker in the City of London.

Farage went to Greenhayes School for Boys and later to Dulwich College, a private school in south London, from 1975 to 1982. He became interested in politics during his school years.

Early Career and Political Start

After leaving school in 1982, Farage worked in the City of London. He traded goods like metals at the London Metal Exchange. He worked for several brokerage firms over the years.

Farage first joined the Conservative Party in 1978. However, he left the Conservatives in 1992. This was because he disagreed with Prime Minister John Major's government signing the Treaty on European Union at Maastricht. This treaty was a big step towards closer European integration.

Time in the European Parliament

Farage was first elected to the European Parliament in 1999. He was re-elected in 2004, 2009, and 2014. He was a leader for UKIP members in the European Parliament. He also co-led a group of politicians who were against the EU, called Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy.

Farage at the UKIP Conference in 2009

Farage was known for his speeches in the European Parliament. In 2010, he famously criticized Herman Van Rompuy, who was the first long-term President of the European Council. Farage's comments led to him being disciplined by the Parliament's president.

In 2014, Farage led UKIP to a historic victory in the European Parliament elections. For the first time in over 100 years, a party other than Labour or the Conservatives won the most votes in a national UK election. This success put pressure on the government to hold a vote on leaving the EU.

Leading UK Independence Party (UKIP)

Farage was a founder of the UKIP in 1993. He became the leader of UKIP in 2006. He wanted to make UKIP a broader party, not just focused on one issue. He aimed to gain more seats in local and national elections.

In 2009, Farage stepped down as UKIP leader to focus on becoming an MP in the 2010 general election. He ran against John Bercow, the Speaker of the House of Commons. Farage did not win this election.

On election day in 2010, Farage was in a small plane with a UKIP banner. The plane crashed, and he suffered broken ribs and a punctured lung. He recovered from his injuries.

Later in 2010, Farage became UKIP leader again. Under his leadership, UKIP continued to grow. In the 2013 local elections, UKIP had its best performance ever, winning many council seats. This showed that the party was becoming more popular across the country.

Farage at the opening of the UKIP office in Basingstoke, in 2012

2015 General Election Campaign

In 2013, Farage announced he would run to become an MP again in the 2015 United Kingdom general election. He chose to stand in the South Thanet area.

He took part in televised debates with other party leaders. Some polls after the debates showed him as a joint winner. Farage had said he would resign as UKIP leader if he didn't win his seat.

He did not win the South Thanet seat, coming in second place. After the election, he announced his resignation as leader. However, the party's national committee asked him to stay, and he agreed to continue leading UKIP.

Brexit Campaign and Aftermath

Farage in 2016

Nigel Farage was a very important person in the Brexit campaign in 2016. He strongly argued for the UK to leave the European Union. The "Leave" side won the vote with 52% of the votes.

After the vote, Farage resigned as UKIP leader, saying he wanted his "life back." He said this resignation was final.

In 2018, Farage helped start a new party called the Brexit Party. This party aimed to make sure Brexit happened as quickly as possible.

Farage in the European Parliament plenary session in January 2019 with Frans Timmermans

In the 2019 European Parliament election, the Brexit Party, led by Farage, won the most seats in the UK. This was another big success for him.

The Brexit Party was later renamed Reform UK in 2021. Farage became the honorary president of Reform UK in 2021, stepping down as leader.

Farage in 2020

During the COVID-19 pandemic in the United Kingdom, Farage spoke about the government's policies. He later campaigned against lockdowns, saying they were "cruel and unnecessary."

Reform UK and 2024 Election

Farage campaigning for Reform UK during the 2024 general election

In June 2024, Farage announced he would become the leader of Reform UK again. He also said he would run for MP in the Clacton constituency. He had previously said he would not stand in this election.

During his campaign in Clacton, Farage had a milkshake thrown at him. He later joked about the incident. He also had an object thrown at him while on a bus. He said he would not be scared by these events.

Reform UK launched its plans for the country, which they called a "contract." Their ideas included:

• Lowering taxes.
• Reducing immigration.
• Increasing money for public services.
• Reforming the NHS.
• Bringing some important services, like utilities, partly under public ownership.
• Changing the House of Lords to be more democratic.
• Changing the voting system.
• Freezing non-essential immigration.
• Hiring more police officers.
• Opposing the current net zero carbon emissions target.

On 4 July 2024, Farage won the Clacton seat. This was the first time he became an MP. Four other Reform UK candidates also won seats. Farage said his goal is for Reform UK to become the main opposition party to Labour.

Member of Parliament

Farage speaking in the House of Commons, 9 July 2024

After becoming an MP, Farage spoke out about riots that happened in July and August 2024. He said that such disorder should not happen in a democracy. He called for Parliament to discuss the situation.

In September 2024, it was reported that Farage was buying a home in Clacton.

Support for Donald Trump

Farage with Donald Trump in 2019

Farage is a strong supporter of former US President Donald Trump. He has spoken at Trump's rallies in the United States. He has praised Trump, calling him "resilient and brave."

Farage speaking at a Trump rally in October 2020

Farage has attended Republican events in the US. He also supported Trump in the 2024 US presidential election.

Broadcasting Career

Official MEP portrait, 2014

Fox News

In 2017, the US news channel Fox News hired Farage as a commentator. He shares his political opinions on their channels.

LBC Radio

From 2017 to 2020, Farage hosted a radio show called The Nigel Farage Show on the UK station LBC. He discussed political topics and took calls from listeners.

He also hosted a podcast called Farage Against The Machine. This podcast was later cancelled after the band Rage Against the Machine asked him to change the name. In June 2020, LBC announced that Farage was leaving the station.

GB News

In 2021, Farage joined the British news channel GB News. He hosts a political discussion program called The Political Correction on Sundays. He also hosts an evening show called Farage from Monday to Thursday.

In August 2024, it was reported that Farage earned a significant amount of money from his work at GB News. This income was in addition to his salary as an MP.

I'm a Celebrity... Get Me Out of Here!

In November 2023, Farage appeared on the reality TV show I'm a Celebrity...Get Me Out of Here!. He finished in third place on the show.

Personal Life

Farage attending the 2009 Ashes series at Lord's Cricket Ground

Nigel Farage lives in Single Street, a small village in London. He has been married twice and has four children. His first marriage was to Gráinne Hayes, and they had two children. He later married Kirsten Mehr, a German national, and they also had two children.

Farage has written two books about his life and political journey: Fighting Bull (2010) and The Purple Revolution: The Year That Changed Everything (2015).

He is a big fan of cricket and association football, supporting Crystal Palace FC. He also enjoys fishing. Farage is known for his public image, which includes smoking and enjoying beer. He is a Christian and a member of the Church of England.

Awards and Recognition

In 2016, Farage received a Lifetime Achievement Award for his role in the Brexit referendum. He was also shortlisted for Time magazine's Person of the Year award in the same year.

In 2020, he received an honorary doctorate degree from Liberty University in the United States for his work on Brexit and support for freedom. In 2023, he won the award for Best Presenter at the TRIC Awards for his broadcasting work.