Nigel Farage is a "good campaigner and disrupter" but his decision to trigger a by-election in Clacton demonstrates he is "not a politician," Sarah Vine has stated. Debating with Peter Hitchens, Vine argued that Farage has consistently failed to withstand scrutiny, a necessity for those in high office.
Vine further accused the Reform UK leader of appearing disengaged from parliamentary proceedings and struggling as a public speaker. Farage recently resigned his Clacton seat amidst scrutiny over his finances. In April, The Guardian reported he received a £5 million gift from cryptocurrency billionaire Christopher Harborne shortly before his election as a Member of Parliament. The sum was not declared on his register of interests, and Parliament's standards commissioner is investigating a potential failure to declare it. Farage has denied any wrongdoing, asserting the money was a personal, unconditional gift received prior to his entering Parliament.
"Farage is a very good antagonist, a catalyst – what he's not very good at is being a politician," Vine said. "Over the last 18 months, he has been required to be a politician and he's not good at it. He's really not.
"He doesn't turn up to Parliament, he doesn't like it. He can't stand up to any kind of scrutiny. In politics, there is a lot of scrutiny and you have to be ready for it.
"He's a campaigner, not a politician… he's not a good orator, he doesn't speak well."
Hitchens, while stating he does not approve of Farage, believes the Reform leader warrants sympathy for his endurance as a political figure and for the harsh treatment he has received from the media.
In his speech announcing the by-election, Farage expressed his anger with the media, citing a Sky News approach to his daughter's home as a "final straw." Sky News has denied contacting his family.
"I think Farage deserves a lot of sympathy and some admiration for his sticking power," Hitchens commented on the Alas Vine & Hitchens podcast. He recalled an incident where a reporter was allegedly instructed by an editor to ask Farage about his testicular cancer during an interview.
Hitchens also defended Farage regarding reports of him owning multiple properties, stating, "You can't blame a man for having a property portfolio."
However, Hitchens suggested that Farage made a "serious mistake" by initiating the by-election instead of waiting for one to be mandated. He indicated that Farage might deeply regret accepting the £5 million.
"I am not sure he can survive it," Hitchens stated. "People in my experience do not like being compelled to go out and have by-elections… they get annoyed.
"Nigel Farage has never got 50% of the vote in Clacton-on-Sea and if the establishment were to rally behind Count Binface… it's not impossible it could be the most embarrassing disaster."