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| Nigel Farage basks in the triumph of his new dawn | |
| (35 minutes later) | |
| As the initial indications on Thursday night pointed towards a narrow win for remain in the EU referendum, the official leave camp began quietly briefing against Nigel Farage. The Ukip leader’s excesses, especially his hugely controversial Breaking Point anti-migration poster, had scared off moderate Brexiters, they lamented. | As the initial indications on Thursday night pointed towards a narrow win for remain in the EU referendum, the official leave camp began quietly briefing against Nigel Farage. The Ukip leader’s excesses, especially his hugely controversial Breaking Point anti-migration poster, had scared off moderate Brexiters, they lamented. |
| But by the time Friday dawned and the unexpected success for those seeking to quit the EU began to coalesce into a result, Farage was instead the public focus for leave celebrations. | But by the time Friday dawned and the unexpected success for those seeking to quit the EU began to coalesce into a result, Farage was instead the public focus for leave celebrations. |
| A man who shortly after 10pm on Thursday had effectively conceded, saying it seemed the remain campaign had “edged it”, was six hours later making a noisy declaration of triumph. | A man who shortly after 10pm on Thursday had effectively conceded, saying it seemed the remain campaign had “edged it”, was six hours later making a noisy declaration of triumph. |
| The referendum appeared set to be “a victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people,” bellowed Farage above the cheers of supporters flanking him. “Let 23 June go down in our history as our independence day.” | The referendum appeared set to be “a victory for real people, a victory for ordinary people, a victory for decent people,” bellowed Farage above the cheers of supporters flanking him. “Let 23 June go down in our history as our independence day.” |
| Even in victory, Farage took a tone that managed to upset some people, not least when he said the vote had been won “without a single bullet having been fired”, a seemingly inadvertent but crass phrase to use given the shooting and stabbing to death of the Labour MP Jo Cox the week before. | Even in victory, Farage took a tone that managed to upset some people, not least when he said the vote had been won “without a single bullet having been fired”, a seemingly inadvertent but crass phrase to use given the shooting and stabbing to death of the Labour MP Jo Cox the week before. |
| He also continued to present himself as a political insurgent, saying: “We have fought against the multinationals, we have fought against the big merchant banks, we fought against big politics, we fought against lies, corruption and deceit.” | He also continued to present himself as a political insurgent, saying: “We have fought against the multinationals, we have fought against the big merchant banks, we fought against big politics, we fought against lies, corruption and deceit.” |
| But the moment was Farage’s to enjoy. Without having to worry about the sudden fissures appearing in the Conservative and Labour parties, the Ukip leader could bask in a moment he had fought more than two decades to achieve, and toured the broadcast studios in triumph. | But the moment was Farage’s to enjoy. Without having to worry about the sudden fissures appearing in the Conservative and Labour parties, the Ukip leader could bask in a moment he had fought more than two decades to achieve, and toured the broadcast studios in triumph. |
| As David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn laid low, planning their responses to the leave vote, Farage led the calls for the prime minister to step down, which soon became the case. Calling for 23 June to become Britain’s independence day national holiday, he told the Today programme that Cameron’s days in office were limited. | As David Cameron and Jeremy Corbyn laid low, planning their responses to the leave vote, Farage led the calls for the prime minister to step down, which soon became the case. Calling for 23 June to become Britain’s independence day national holiday, he told the Today programme that Cameron’s days in office were limited. |
| “I think it is very difficult for him to stay on as prime minister given that he involved himself so heavily in the campaign, told us that dreadful things would happen to us if we were to leave, recession, threats of war and all the rest of it,” he predicted. | “I think it is very difficult for him to stay on as prime minister given that he involved himself so heavily in the campaign, told us that dreadful things would happen to us if we were to leave, recession, threats of war and all the rest of it,” he predicted. |
| Soon afterwards came ITV’s Good Morning Britain, where Farage almost seemed to take some glee in dismissing the idea that the supposed £350m weekly bounty from quitting the EU – itself a much disproved figure – would, as promised by Brexiters, be spent instead on the NHS. | Soon afterwards came ITV’s Good Morning Britain, where Farage almost seemed to take some glee in dismissing the idea that the supposed £350m weekly bounty from quitting the EU – itself a much disproved figure – would, as promised by Brexiters, be spent instead on the NHS. |
| “No, I can’t, and I would never have made that claim,” Farage said, arguing that this was a promise of the official leave grouping, which had “ostracised” him. There was, he insisted, going to be “free money that we can spend on the NHS, on schools, or whatever it is”, but it would not be as billed, prompting some leave voters to take to social media saying they felt duped. | “No, I can’t, and I would never have made that claim,” Farage said, arguing that this was a promise of the official leave grouping, which had “ostracised” him. There was, he insisted, going to be “free money that we can spend on the NHS, on schools, or whatever it is”, but it would not be as billed, prompting some leave voters to take to social media saying they felt duped. |
| His work for the day seemingly done – and very much overdue for some sleep – Farage then retreated from view, as Cameron announced his departure, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove urged calm, the pound and shares slumped, and Labour MPs worked on a letter of no confidence against Corbyn. | His work for the day seemingly done – and very much overdue for some sleep – Farage then retreated from view, as Cameron announced his departure, Boris Johnson and Michael Gove urged calm, the pound and shares slumped, and Labour MPs worked on a letter of no confidence against Corbyn. |
| If this was not a sufficiently good day for the Ukip leader there was another bit of good news for him – he was now £2,500 richer, having placed a £1,000 bet on Brexit earlier this month. | If this was not a sufficiently good day for the Ukip leader there was another bit of good news for him – he was now £2,500 richer, having placed a £1,000 bet on Brexit earlier this month. |