Farage has Boris rock star appeal, insists Anderson
REFORM UK MP Lee Anderson yesterday said he would be “absolutely delighted” if Nigel Farage made a comeback – claiming he has the same “rock star appeal” as Boris Johnson.
Ex-Tory Mr Anderson, who defected to Reform earlier this month, spoke as Mr Farage dropped his strongest hint yet that he could return to frontline politics.
The former Ukip and Brexit Party leader – now honorary president of Reform – has been at the centre of speculation about his future.
And Mr Farage suggested voters might be seeing more of him as the UK heads towards a General Election when he said there is a “historic opportunity to really change things”.
Popular
Mr Anderson heaped praise on Mr Farage during the launch of Reform UK’s Blackpool South by-election campaign. He told the Daily Express: “Nigel Farage is very popular wherever you go.
“He’s got the old rock star appeal. I think Boris had that.
“Look, if he came back into frontline politics I’d be absolutely delighted.
“It would certainly make my job easier to be re-elected.
“It would give the people of this country – the normal, decent, hard-working people that are looking for an alternative – a bit of a lift as well and encourage people to come out and vote whenever the election is.”
Mr Anderson added the polls are “only going one way” after a YouGov survey put Reform on a record 16%.
In a message to Daily Express readers, the Ashfield MP said: “Keep buying the Express because the Express has been a really good paper to me, very supportive.
“And I think a lot of the Express readers think on the same lines of what I do.”
Mr Anderson unveiled Mark Butcher – founder of the Amazing Grace soup kitchen for the homeless – as Reform’s candidate for the by-election.
The ballot was triggered by the resignation of former Tory Scott Benton after he was caught in a lobbying sting.
Pollsters predict Reform could push the Tories into third place in the by-election, which Labour is expected to win.