London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Mar 31, 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
Russia Expels British Diplomat as UK Pushes Back Against Pressure
White House App Faces Scrutiny After Claims of Continuous User Location Tracking
BBC Faces Scrutiny Over Allegations of Paid Content Linked to Saudi Arabia
UK-France Coastal Patrol Agreement Nears Breakdown Amid Migration Pressures
UK Police Detain Pro-Palestine Activist Again Weeks After Bail Release
FTSE 100 Advances as Energy and Mining Shares Gain Amid Middle East Tensions
Eli Lilly Seeks UK Pricing Deal to Unlock Renewed Pharmaceutical Investment
Three Arrested in UK After Massive Cocaine Haul Discovered Hidden in Banana Shipment
UK Fuel Prices Poised for Further Surge Amid Global Energy Pressures
Apple Subsidiary Penalized by UK Authorities for Breach of Moscow Sanctions
Western Allies Intensify Coordinated Sanctions Strategy Against Russia
UK Lawmakers Face Criticism Over Renewed Push for Social Media Restrictions
Starmer Signals UK Crackdown on Addictive Social Media Features
Rising Costs Push One in Five UK Hospitality Businesses to the Brink of Closure
Man Arrested on Suspicion of Attempted Murder After Car Strikes Pedestrians in UK, Injuring Seven
Escalating Conflict Involving Iran Tightens Fiscal Pressures and Highlights UK Economic Vulnerabilities
UK Moves to Confront Russian ‘Shadow Fleet’ Operating in Its Waters
UK Housing Divide Deepens as Older Owners Hold Wealth While Under-30s Face Mounting Barriers
London Demonstration Calls on UK to Recognize Iranian Opposition’s Provisional Government
UK Green Party Vote on ‘Zionism is Racism’ Motion Collapses Amid Internal Disputes and Technical Failures
SNL UK Ignites Debate with Sharp Royal Satire Targeting Prince Andrew and Prince William
EU Proposes ‘Emergency Brake’ to Resolve Deadlock in UK Youth Mobility Talks
Thousands Rally in London to Oppose Rise of Far-Right Movements
Hong Kong Official Rejects Allegations of Surveillance Orders Targeting UK-Based Dissidents
PayPal Expands Cryptocurrency Services to Allow UK Users to Buy and Sell Bitcoin
UK Minister Challenges Reform Party’s ‘Pro-Family’ Agenda as Debate Intensifies
Concerns Grow Over Meningitis Risk Among UK Students Amid Warning Signs of New Outbreaks
Japanese Grand Prix 2026: Schedule, UK Start Times and Full Broadcast Details
Electric Vehicles Seen as Strategic Solution to UK Fuel Reserve Concerns
Rise of Lone-Actor Threats and Online Radicalisation Drives New Wave of Antisemitic Attacks in the UK
Canada Advances Plan to Ban Cryptocurrency Donations in Election Campaigns
UK Faces Looming Medicine Shortages as Iran Conflict Threatens Supply Chains
Deadly Meningitis Outbreak in the U.K. Highlights Urgent Need for Vaccination
Fresh Claims Emerge Over Harry and Meghan’s Australia Visit as Insider Speaks Out
NATO Assessment Indicates UK Defence Spending Has Fallen Below Alliance Average
FTSE 100 Slips as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Investor Sentiment
UK Economy Begins to Feel Early Impact of Iran Conflict as Policy Challenges Intensify
Russian National Jailed in UK After Assault Case Linked to Barron Trump’s Alert
Energy Price Surge Accelerates Shift Away from Fossil Fuels in UK Homes
UK Museums House More Than 260,000 Human Remains, New Report Reveals
Surging UK Gilt Yields Reflect Inflation Pressures and Fiscal Uncertainty
UK Issues Updated Guidance on Children’s Screen Time with Focus on Balance and Wellbeing
UK Migration Figures Show Shifting Trends Across Asylum, Visas and Channel Crossings
UK Watchdog Launches Probe into Five Firms Over Alleged Fake Reviews and Ratings
Jaguar Land Rover Halts Production at UK Plant Amid Supplier Disruption
UK Police Reverse Position, Confirm Arrests Will Resume for Palestine Action Protests
UK Small Businesses Face Europe’s Steepest Cost Pressures, New Survey Reveals
US Envoy Urges UK to Proceed with King’s Visit Amid Diplomatic Sensitivities
FTSE 100 Drops Over One Percent as Middle East Tensions Weigh on Markets
UK CO2 Plant Set to Reopen as Authorities Move to Safeguard Supplies Amid Middle East Tensions
×