The Brexit Revolution and the Power of the ‘Betrayal Myth’

Having instigated the UK’s economically and politically damaging departure from the EU, James Bloodworth asks why Nigel Farage is still the country’s most popular politician

In June 2016, a bumptious Nigel Farage stood in front of a giant billboard showing a large queue of dark-skinned refugees crossing the Croatian border into Slovenia. ‘Breaking Point’ read the bright red text above the image. “We must break free of the EU and take back control of our borders”, read another caption.

A few weeks earlier, Farage had claimed that migrant sex attacks would be the “nuclear bomb” of the EU Referendum.

The unveiling of the poster was part of the then UKIP Leader’s role as the unofficial frontman of Leave.EU – an unofficial pro-Brexit campaign group founded by UKIP donor Arron Banks. Leave.EU was a political outrider for the official Vote Leave campaign – an establishment-backed grouping that included senior Conservatives such as Boris Johnson and Michael Gove. Both politicians were keen to maintain at least a pretence of distance between themselves and Farage.