London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Thursday, Jul 09, 2026

‘It’s over’: Nigel Farage quits politics for good

‘It’s over’: Nigel Farage quits politics for good

Nigel Farage, the grassroots Brexit politician largely credited with pressuring David Cameron into having an EU referendum, has quit politics for good.

Mr Farage was the leader of the UK Independence Party until he famously quit after the 2016 Leave vote.

However, he made a sensational return two years later to form the Brexit Party, which later became the Reform Party, as a reaction to the government’s negotiations with the European Union.

Now, it seems, he has finally had enough.

“There’s no going back - Brexit is done,” he told the Sunday Telegraph’s Chopper Politics podcast.

“That won’t be reversed. I know I’ve come back once or twice when people thought I’d gone, but this is it. It’s done. It’s over”.

Mr Farage said he didn’t want to play golf “four times a week followed by half a pint of bitter” but instead intended to campaign against China’s influence in the UK and what he called the “woke agenda”.

“I see our communities being divided more than ever by this agenda. And I’m very worried about it. I want to fight all those things,” he said.

“I have built up over these years quite a considerable social media platform. I’ve got reach. So I want to go on influencing the debate. I want to go on changing debate. But I can do that without going out and fighting elections”.

Mr Farage was originally a member of the Conservative Party but left after John Major signed the Maastricht Treaty in 1992, the foundation treaty of the European Union.

He married Gráinne Hayes in 1988 and the couple had two children, Samuel and Thomas, before divorcing in 1997.

The 56-year-old later married Kirsten Farage in 1992 and the pair had two children.

In 2017, Mrs Farage told the Press Association that the couple were living "separate lives" and that Mr Farage had "moved out of the family home a while ago".

Mr Farage told the Chopper Politics podcast “the really difficult bit” of politics was the “way it affects those close to you, your family, your children”.

In a video statement posted on Twitter on Saturday night, Mr Farage said Brexit had been his “life’s work” and had taken over “the best part of three decades” but now is the time to step away.

The news of Mr Farage’s departure from politics comes after Laurence Fox announced he is campaigning to be the next Mayor of London.

Mr Fox has also become an outspoken critic against so-called “wokeism” and said he is standing as mayor to “offer a voice to those who are being dominated into silence”.

The actor announced in September that he was launching a political party for the “reclamation” of British values.

His anti-woke Reclaim Party was approved by the Electoral Commission last month and he has previously spoken about his mission to oppose being “woke” for the “rest of his days”.

Mr Fox told the Telegraph that “public debate has been strangled”.

He referenced recent protests which saw campaigners call for statues, many of which are dedicated to famous Britons who profited from the Transatlantic slave trade, be removed.

Mr Fox said he was angered by the “disrespect being shown to the sacrifices made by previous generations to protect our values, tolerance and freedom”.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Deadly Fire, Health Emergencies and Political Upheaval Shape a Volatile Global News Cycle
The Physical and Electronic Barriers Disrupting Domestic Wireless Networks
France and Morocco Open World Cup Quarter-Finals as Collina Defends Refereeing
Prince Harry Suffers Major Court Defeat in Legal Battle Against Daily Mail Publisher
Bonnie Tyler, Welsh Singer Behind Total Eclipse of the Heart, Dies at 75
Barclays and PwC Report Examines Economic Opportunities from Financial Asset Tokenisation
Pound Sterling Strengthens as Investors Anticipate Further Bank of England Rate Increases
British Business Bank Invests Twenty-Seven Million Pounds in Kraken Technology Defence Expansion
UK Business Secretary Peter Kyle Backs State Investment Strategy Inspired by US Approach
UK Electricity System Issues Margin Notice as Heatwave Tightens Evening Supply Outlook
Labour Leadership Contest Opens as Andy Burnham Emerges as Expected Sole Candidate
Tech Pulse: The Future of AI and Screen Culture
Global News Briefing: Escalating Geopolitical Tensions and Corporate Shakeups
Global News Brief: Escalating Conflicts, Public Health Crises, and World Cup Drama
Rare Early Copy of US Declaration of Independence Found in British Archive
Cornish Language Revival Gains Momentum Through Schools and Community Programs
UK Authorities Face Criticism Over Prisoner Early Release Safeguards
Clacton By-Election Set After Nigel Farage Resigns Seat to Trigger Contest
Government Agencies Review Long-Term Fiscal Risks from Aging Population and Low Productivity
UK Heatwaves Expose Pressure on Public Transport and Housing Infrastructure
UK Government Prepares Welfare Review Amid Debate Over Personal Independence Payment Reform
UK Government Expands Rapid Endometriosis Testing Across NHS Services
Vistry Group Issues Profit Warning as UK Housing Market Faces Continued Pressure
Virgin Media Receives Record Twenty-Eight Million Pound Fine Over Contract Cancellation Failures
Office for Budget Responsibility Warns UK Public Finances Face Long-Term Pressure
UK Watchdog Warns Regional Income Gap Has Barely Narrowed in Three Decades
IMF Raises United Kingdom Growth Forecast as Inflation and Energy Pressures Ease
UK Government Launches Regulatory Reform Bill to Speed Up Commercialization of Innovation
Prince Harry Loses Privacy Lawsuit Against Daily Mail Publisher After High Court Rejects Claims
Federal Financial Framework Shifts as Treasury Launches Universal Savings Program for Minors
Jet2 Reports Strong Summer Travel Demand as Bookings Rise Seven Percent
Prince Harry Loses High Court Privacy Case Against Daily Mail Publisher
British Universities Warn Against Potential European Union Tuition Fee Changes
Heal Fertility Clinic Investigated After Embryo Biopsy Sample Mix-Up
Resolution Foundation Warns Regional Income Divide Has Barely Improved Since 1997
British Markets Remain Cautious as Middle East Tensions Rise and Government Transition Nears
Andy Burnham Poised to Become United Kingdom Prime Minister in Expected Political Transition
Nigel Farage Resigns as Member of Parliament Ahead of By-Election Amid Funding Investigation
Trump Declares Iran Ceasefire Over After Renewed Attacks on United States Bases
French Court Allows Le Pen to Run for Presidency, but with an Electronic Tag: "I Will Appeal, and I Will Run"
$1.4 Trillion: The Lawsuit That Could Crush Meta
Europe's Growing Struggle with Extreme Heat and Air Conditioning
UK Daily Briefing: Legal Developments and Social Issues
Political Turmoil and Rising Costs
Anthropic Reengineers Agentic Architecture to Shift Autonomous Workplace Automation to the Cloud
Logic Flaw in Windows 11 Permission Architecture Silently Consumes Hundreds of Gigabytes of Local Storage
Apple Advances Late-Stage Operating Systems with Fourth Beta Deployments
Global Crisis Alert: Escalating Middle East Tensions and UK Political Upheaval
UK Parliament Pushes for Greater Domestic Control Over Critical Technologies
UK Parliament Warns Trade Fair and Exhibition Industry Is Losing Global Competitiveness
×