It is not an insult to say that I have long regarded Nigel Farage as the political equivalent of Clostridium botulinum, the bacterium that produces the deadliest natural substance known to humankind. Taken to excess, the toxin causes muscle weakness, paralysis, vomiting and the inability to speak coherently, all symptoms that are observable in the Reform leader\u2019s enemies.<\/p>\n
But taken in small doses, botulinum\u2019s ability to relax constricted muscles has, literally, smoothed millions of furrowed brows; driven largely by the explosion of Botox treatments, the botulinum market is projected to grow to \u00a321 billion by 2033, with nearly 20,000 practitioners administering around a million treatments each year in the UK alone. <\/p>\n
The chemical analogue of Farage\u2019s emanations has brought relief to sufferers from cerebral palsy, chronic migraines and clenching of the anus.<\/p>\n
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There are few who now doubt that the Reform leader is the single most consequential figure in British politics over the past three decades, outlasting even Tony Blair<\/a>. He will reap the rewards of his stewardship at this May\u2019s Scottish, Welsh and local elections. Some experts expect Reform to win as many as 2,000 new seats.<\/p>\n But aside from electoral success, the disruptive effects of the Reform bacterium on an ossified body politic are undeniable. For many, even those who abhor his policies, Farage has been a wake-up call for British politics. He is touted by his followers as the antithesis of domination by focus groups, endless political trimming, Blairite third-wayism and Starmerite U-turns.<\/p>\n On the left, his advocacy of the politics of belief has been mimicked successfully by Zack Polanski<\/a>. Put less pejoratively, the insurgents\u2019 value has been, on the face of it, to restore at least the illusion of conviction in politics.<\/p>\n And it works. In most polls, Reform remains some eight points clear of the chasing pack. In many areas, the Greens are vying for second place, and may even be in the lead in London. Overall, the combined vote of the Labour and Conservative parties has plummeted to less than 40 per cent.<\/p>\n It has been evident for some decades that the configuration of British party politics has fallen out of sync with its social base. The battalions of the labour movement can no longer be marshalled as they were in the 1960s and 70s. And on the centre right, the cultural affinity between Middle Britain and the so-called \u201cnatural party of government\u201d is slowly collapsing. With six political parties in contention, the choice before the electorate in next month\u2019s Scottish, Welsh and local elections should be richer than it has been in my lifetime.<\/p>\n