Why Nigel Farage really won the Runcorn by-election

Making speeches about patriotism is easy – fixing potholes is harder. Farage is entitled to celebrate, but whether Reform is fit for power is another matter, says Simon Walters

On a day when Nigel Farage has good cause to celebrate his success in yesterday’s elections with a pint of foaming ale, my mind is cast back to when I first interviewed him.

It was 2012. David Cameron had not long become prime minister and Farage was just starting to snap at his heels. It was just over a decade ago, yet seems like aeons.

The Tory Party has had no fewer than five leaders since then. But Farage, the political Duracell bunny, is still fully charged.

Like him or loathe him, he has staying power.

While many politicians, including Keir Starmer, who served under old-style socialist Jeremy Corbyn and now runs a government closer to Tony Blair’s New Labour, move with each change in the political wind, Farage sings more or less the same tune.

A shameless rabble-rousing, anti-establishment populist rally cry.

Then, it was derided as ‘Little Englander’ or ‘niche’ or ‘irrelevant.’

It can no longer be dismissed so easily. Not after last night.

Farage-style politicians are gaining power and influence everywhere, from the US to Italy, Germany, France and beyond.

Not in Britain. Not on a national scale. Not yet.

However, after yesterday’s triumph for Farage’s Reform Party, they will be in charge in many localities.

Until now, he has revelled in standing on the sidelines mocking the way those in power invariably make a mess of things.

Now he – and his Party – will have to take responsibility for running things and be held to account.

Anyone can make a patriotic speech – fixing potholes takes hard graft.

Part of Farage’s appeal is his schoolboyish cheek and charm. Now he must show he is a grown-up.

He has made no secret of wanting to be prime minister. But if his party fails to put its reputation for chaotic – and often deeply unpleasant – behaviour behind it, voters are not likely to trust him with the keys to Number 10 at the next election.

The bad blood between Farage and the Tories that marked yesterday’s elections dates back to Cameron’s infamous remark about Farage’s Ukip (the forerunner of Reform) was that they were made up of “loonies. closet racists and fruitcakes”.

There are those who believe that is still true.

Now that hundreds of Reform councillors are about to receive the laser-like scrutiny that goes with being in office, we will find out.

Cameron tried to kill off Farage politically by calling his bluff and holding the Brexit referendum. We all know how that ended.

Cameron was destroyed and Farage had another pint to celebrate. But to what end?

Most independent experts agree far from leading us to the land of milk and honey Brexit has led to Britain being substantially worse off economically – just like Farage’s pal and role model Donald Trump’s tariffs have left America worse off.

It is early days in Trump’s second term, but his poll ratings have already plummeted as his policies have predictably failed to live up to his colourful rhetoric and grandstanding.

Farage is no slouch when it comes to colourful rhetoric and grandstanding. Would his Trumpian approach be any more successful here, if implemented, than Trump’s appears to be in America?

Farage benefits hugely from being up against three of the most lacklustre mainstream British party leaders for a long time in Keir Starmer, Kemi Badenoch and Ed Davey.

With them as competition he can hardly fail to shine. And there is no doubting Starmer has moved closer to Farage on issues such as immigration, than the reverse.

My 2012 interview with Farage took place in Westminster’s Marquis of Granby pub – not by design, but because the nearby venue we hoped to use fell through at the last minute.

The photograph taken of him that day, December 15 2012, posing with a pint of beer in a bar was, I am fairly sure, the first of its kind.

It has become such a ubiquitous and effective part of his man of the people image he almost seems naked without it.

Don’t imagine it is all by chance. When I interviewed him years later in a restaurant and a glass of fine red wine appeared in the photo he was not best pleased.

You can be sure photogenic Farage will be downing a pint of ale – definitely not red wine – in front of the cameras in the next few days.

After winning the Runcorn by-election by six votes, he deserves it. Whether Reform has the discipline to earn its corn and deliver is another matter.