PROFILE
Nigel Paul Farage born 3 April 1964) is a British politician who was the leader of the UK Independence Party (UKIP) from October 2016 (in an interim capacity), until 28 November 2016 and previously served in the role from September 2006 to November 2009 and from November 2010 to September 2016. Since 1999 he has been a Member of the European Parliament for South East England. He co-chairs the Europe of Freedom and Direct Democracy (formerly "Europe of Freedom and Democracy") group.[5] He has been noted for his sometimes controversial speeches in the European Parliament and has strongly criticised the euro currency.
Farage was a founding member of UKIP, having left the Conservative Party in 1992 after the signing of the Maastricht Treaty. After unsuccessfully campaigning in European and Westminster parliamentary elections for UKIP since 1994, he was elected MEP for South East England in the 1999 European Parliament election. He was subsequently re-elected in 2004, 2009 and, most recently, at the 2014 European parliament election.
In September 2006, Farage became the UKIP Leader and led the party through the 2009 European Parliament Election, when it won the second highest share of the popular vote, defeating Labour and the Liberal Democrats with over two million votes. He stepped down in November 2009 to concentrate on contesting Buckingham, the constituency of the Speaker, John Bercow, at the 2010 general election, coming third. In November 2010, Farage successfully stood in the 2010 UKIP leadership contest,following the resignation of Lord Pearson of Rannoch.
Farage announced his resignation as leader when he did not win the South Thanet seat in Kent at the 2015 general election, but his resignation was rejected and he remained in his post. In June 2016, Farage was a prominent supporter of the successful campaign for a vote in favour of leaving the EU in the UK EU membership referendum.[10] On 4 July 2016, Farage again announced his resignation as leader of UKIP, triggering a leadership election. Diane James was elected to succeed him, but she resigned as leader after just 18 days and Farage became interim leader on 5 October 2016. A second leadership election was held in November, which was won by Paul Nuttall, who thus succeeded Farage.
Farage was ranked second in The Daily Telegraph's Top 100 most influential right-wingers poll in October 2013, behind Prime Minister David Cameron. He was also named "Briton of the Year" by The Times in 2014.
Early life, education and early career
Farage was born in Downe in Kent, England, as the son of Barbara (née Stevens) and Guy Justus Oscar Farage. The Farage name comes from a distant Huguenot ancestor.[18] One of his great-grandfathers was born to German parents who migrated to London in the 19th century. His grandfather, Private Harry Farage, fought in World War I and was wounded near Vimy Ridge at Arras. His father was a stockbroker who worked in the City of London. A 2012 BBC Radio 4 profile described Guy Farage as an alcoholic] who left the family home when Nigel was five years old.
From 1975 to 1982, Farage was educated at Dulwich College, an independent school with a wide social mix in south London. In his autobiography he pays tribute to the careers advice he received there from England Test cricketer John Dewes, "who must have spotted that I was quite ballsy, probably good on a platform, unafraid of the limelight, a bit noisy and good at selling things". According to a letter written in 1981 by a teacher at the school, plans to make Farage a prefect were opposed by some staff because of his allegedly racist and fascist leanings. The man who appointed Farage a prefect, David Emms, former master of Dulwich College, stated in 2013 he has no memory of the letter and he disagrees that Farage was guilty of racism. Farage denies he ever had far-right sympathy. In his autobiography, he claims that teachers opposed this appointment because of his admiration for the controversial Conservative Enoch Powell. On leaving school in 1982, he decided not to go to university, but to work in the City, trading commodities at the London Metal Exchange. Initially, he joined the American commodity operation of brokerage firm Drexel Burnham Lambert, transferring to Crédit Lyonnais Rouse in 1986. He joined Refco in 1994, and Natexis Metals in 2003.
Early years
Farage was active in the Conservative Party from his school days, having seen a visit to his school by Enoch Powell and Keith Joseph. However, he voted for the Green Party in 1989 because of what he saw as their then "sensible" and Eurosceptic policies. He left the Conservatives in 1992 in protest at Prime Minister John Major government's signing of the Treaty on European Union at Maastricht. He was a founding member of UKIP in 1993.
Source: Wikipedia
