The leader of the Brexit Party, Nigel Farage, has sparked hilarity and ridicule on social media after coming out in favour of the law intended to prevent a No Deal Brexit and extend Article 50 – a bill which numerous Brexiteers have labelled the “Surrender Act”.
Earlier today, the EU announced that it had finally agreed a revised Brexit deal with Boris Johnson’s government.
Following the highly anticipated announcement, the EU President, Jean-Claude Juncker, appeared to rule out agreeing to any further Brexit delay – stating that there would not be “any kind of prolongation” and that “[Brexit] has to be done now“.
However, despite the UK’s departure from the EU now appearing to be within touching distance, Nigel Farage – who has consistently advocated for leaving the European Union – sparked confusion after expressing his immense displeasure at the situation.
Writing on Twitter, Farage slammed Mr Juncker and the EU, stating:
“So an unelected, retiring bureaucrat says: No extension, take this new treaty or just leave.
He is overriding the Benn Act. The EU shows itself to be a thuggocracy – power without accountability. Appalling people.“
So an unelected, retiring bureaucrat says: No extension, take this new treaty or just leave.
He is overriding the Benn Act. The EU shows itself to be a thuggocracy – power without accountability.
Appalling people.
— Nigel Farage (@Nigel_Farage) October 17, 2019
Unsurprisingly, Farage’s apparent defence of the Benn Act – which has been consistently derided as the “Surrender Act” by Brexiteers – came in for intense ridicule by numerous social media users.
You are now…pro the Benn act?
— Aaron Bastani (@AaronBastani) October 17, 2019
for you social channels pic.twitter.com/2qaJrzgvqA
— Mark Di Stefano 🤙🏻 (@MarkDiStef) October 17, 2019
‘He’s overriding the Surrender Acr, how dare he!’
— Mr. Singh (@StatisticSingh) October 17, 2019
Have I just woke up in a parallel universe? Are you, like, @RemainerNow now?
— Roast Dinners In London (@roastdinnersldn) October 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/ArchRose90/status/1184836061043871747?s=20
Others speculated that Farage’s astonishing u-turn may have more to do with the fact that once Brexit is finally done, he will become irrelevent and lose his EU salary:
Your reminder that Nigel Farage doesn't actually want Brexit.
If Brexit is delivered, it makes him politically irrelevant and ends his gravy train at the European Parliament. https://t.co/tonTb75Kwm
— James Wright (@wrightismight) October 17, 2019
Presumably; a deal is the worst of all worlds for our Nige. He loses his plum EU job and loses the prospect of cashing in on no deal disruption.
— (@555SB555) October 17, 2019
https://twitter.com/aleinad__/status/1184841252132544514?s=20
Whatever Farage’s real reasons for coming out in favour of a Brexit extension, this is surely a development that nobody could have predicted.
